Three's a Pattern
by JustADreamer24
Summary: Part of the AnnabethWorld! The big moment's arrived: How will Steve tell Annabeth the truth? How will she react when he tells her they're related? Find out how the big secret's revealed in the midst of an ongoing investigation that involves knives, guns, pillows and ties. As always, some action mixed with drama and hurt-comfort is coming your way. Click in to begin the adventure!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there my dear readers! I am back with the promised new story. It took longer than I anticipated for starting the new story and posting it as well but, here we are!**

 **So, this is the story you've all been waiting for: the big confession! Where Steve finally tells Annabeth the truth about their relationship.**

 **How will he do it? How will she react? How will the team react? Well… stay tuned to find out.**

 **I am not giving away anything about the big moment; not about when, where or how it will happen, so you will just have to be patient and wait for the big BOOM to arrive. This should be fun to watch.**

 **Before we begin though, I should probably tell you that this story takes place about three years after "What in the world?". I apologize if my story doesn't fit exactly everything that actually happens in the show but that's kind of difficult with an OC as involved in their lives as Annabeth is. That being said, I suppose all the major topics of the show will still be present when needed (references to WoFat, Chin's wife getting murdered, Kono's and Adam's history, mentions of Catherine), but I will not dwell too much in those. For example: Catherine won't be a recurrent appearance in my story even though on the show she gets a more active role between season three and four, which is where this new story of mine is supposed to take place. I hope it doesn't get too confusing… sometimes it even confuses me.**

 **Well… I think there's nothing left to add for now. If I think of something else I will sure let you know at the end of the chapter or in the future ones.**

 **I really hope you enjoy this story and leave a review once in a while so I can know what you guys think of the story! Thanks!**

 **So… ENJOY!**

 **CHAPTER 1**

The phone woke him up at three in the morning.

He had no problem picking it up and answering as if he hadn't been deeply asleep because his training had taught him to switch from asleep to awake in less than ten seconds. That didn't mean, though, that it didn't bother him.

\- McGarrett – he announced himself over the phone expecting whoever had called him would state their business quickly. He actually hadn't even bothered to look at the ID number on the screen.

\- Steve – it was Duke's voice coming from the other side of the line – I'm sorry to wake you but something's come up. A new body has been discovered. It's a college girl… - he made a pause and then he added – the same college – if he actually needed anything else to be fully and totally awake and alert it was that last piece of information.

\- I'm on my way. Send me the address – he stated and then hung up the phone, stretching one last time and then heading for the bathroom.

About three weeks ago, HPD had gotten the report of a college student who had been found murdered in his own house with a kitchen knife. His parents had come home after work to find a terrible mess in the living room and then a trail of blood that signaled a scary path into the kitchen where the body of their young and only son lay facing the floor.

The news of such a violent crime had travelled fast and no one had hesitated to contact the Five-0 task force given the age of the victim and his violent demise. But, even though they invested every resource at their disposal, the investigation had reached a wall. They had no suspect, no murder weapon and no apparent motive so the trail, if they ever had any, had gone cold pretty quickly.

Eventually, the case went back to HPD because the task force had to deal with a lot of other important cases in which they did have leads to follow and interventions to make. It didn't mean the college kid case wasn't important, it just meant they couldn't very well stop everything else they were dealing with in order to chase around their own tail.

A week and a half later, another college kid had been found dead. This time, a girl.

The connection of the two victims hadn't been taken seriously into consideration because nothing else, apart from the fact that they both went to the same college, called for attention. The M.O was completely different, both kids studied something different at college, they had no other activities or friends in common, so the only thing linking the two of them together had been dismissed as non-important. It was a big college after all.

Naturally, Five-0 had heard of the new victim but they never got directly involved. HPD was perfectly capable of handling this on their own like they had been doing before the Task Force was ever created.

Now, though, things had changed.

According to Duke, another college kid had been murdered and not just a kid from any college; a kid from the same college as the first two young victims. As the saying goes: if one's an incident, two's a coincidence… then three's a pattern. It was time to act.

By the time he finished getting ready, he had already called Danny to tell him what was going on. Of course he had to endure a bit of his partner's ranting about him calling so late but, fortunately, it hadn't been too long; they had a job to do after all.

Now, all he needed to do was wake Annabeth up so they could leave for the crime scene. He had a feeling that this case, which had started as two apparently unconnected murders, had become a whole lot more complicated than that and they were gonna need the whole team involved.

He crept to the door of her room and knocked slowly while softly calling out to her. Normally, that was all it took to wake her up when they were needed in the middle of the night to start on a case and, true enough, her door swung open and her sleepy face gazed at him in confusion.

\- What? – she asked while at the same time trying to stifle a yawn. She never could switch from sleepy land to awake mode as quickly as him.

\- We have a new case. Actually, an old case. We gotta go – she looked at him as if trying to decide if understanding what he had just said made any sense at all but then she decided it wasn't worth the trouble. She yawned again and nodded.

\- Cool – and went back inside her room to get ready. She just needed a good fifteen minutes to be completely awake.

Steve smiled and headed to the kitchen where he started to make coffee. He knew Annabeth didn't like coffee, but seeing as they were going to start the day so early at least he needed a good shot of caffeine. She would find the extra source of energy somewhere else, usually from sugar and that was Danny's department.

When she came into the kitchen, Annabeth looked ready for a mission: black pants, black t-shirt and black shoes. A ponytail high in her head and a black jacket hanging from her waist. If anyone else saw her they would probably mistake her for a punk and dark kind of girl, but for those who knew her, she was just dressing to be ready for any kind of circumstances: dark clothes to blend in with both nature and crowds (especially at night), comfortable shoes to either run or fight, light up-wear with a portable jacket for any kind of non-extreme weather conditions. It was just who she was, and they had all come to terms with her sometimes eccentric way to be in the almost three years they had been working together. It was also part of her charm.

\- So… - she greeted, definitely more awake than before but still with a thick tone to her voice – what do we have?

\- Another murdered student from the same college as the kitchen knife vic and the strangling one. I'm beginning to think they're not coincidences – she went directly to the fridge looking for something to eat.

\- You're out of chocolate – she said, while grabbing a glass and deciding to drink water instead.

\- I know; I wonder whose fault is that…

\- Alright, alright. I'll buy some to replace your stash BUT – she added, sounding more awake by the second – Danny should pay for at least a third.

\- Agreed – Steve answered and gave one final sip of his previously full cup of coffee before setting the mug down and heading for the door.

Chin and Kono had also been summoned for the cause and so the entire team was headed to the crime scene where Duke, who had been on a night shift, and a couple of other HPD squad cars were parked in front of a house.

When the five of them made it to the police perimeter, they could hear the frantic cries of a distraught mother and the angry barks of a heartbroken father. Steve sent Chin and Annabeth to help calm the parents down, and he sent Kono to get a brief from the HPD officers about any witnesses that could have seen or heard anything of relevance. That left him and Danny to go into the house and upstairs where the gruesome sight of a suffocated young girl laying on her bed waited for them, eyes open wide in desperation and now dull with lack of life.

 **I know that for a first chapter, maybe this isn't the best I've written so far… but I just needed to start writing the story or I was never gonna do it. I get easily consumed by the weekly routine and finding time to write has become a bit of an issue. That's also why I can't promise any regular updates. I'll just try and do my best because I'm really excited about this story!**

 **I hope I can read a few comments about this chapter and what would you like to read on the following ones! That always gets me new ideas and motivation to sit down and write even when what I should be doing is studing…**

 **Well… Until next chapter then!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **First of all I want to apologize for leaving this story hanging just right after the first chapter. I just didn't feel like writing and my muse totally betrayed me by going on vacation without me. Recently though, I've been feeling the need to write and little by little my muse has come back to me… I don't know how often I'll be able to post but I can promise that my head is in the game again.**

 **I know it's been too long but I hope you guys still remember and like my stories about this world I created for 5.0!**

Thank the heavens for Chin's naturally calm demeanor.

If it hadn't been for him, the mother of the victim would have had to be taken to the hospital. He and Annabeth had been trying to talk to the parents outside the house to ask exactly what had happened but neither the mother nor the father could handle the fact that their daughter had been murdered in their own house while they were sleeping. Honestly, no one could blame them; what they were going through right now was every parent's nightmare.

Eventually Chin was able to work his magic and they had learned that the only reason the father had woken up at a little past midnight is because he had heard a noise downstairs. He had debated in his sleep whether to go down and check it out, deciding it was better to be safe than sorry and finally getting out of bed to do it.

While checking the house, he had run into the kitchen door to find it partially open. He had immediately gotten suspicious because they never left any door open; he himself always checked before going to sleep.

Since nothing had been out of order apart from the door, he had gone upstairs to check her daughter's room. She was never one to sneak out at night, but there was always a first time for everything, he thought.

Going into her room he wasn't sure if he had been hoping to find her sleeping in her bed or not because, if she was, then the open kitchen door would become a more serious incident. When he had stepped inside the room, he was never prepared for what he found out and that was an image he would never, ever, be able to forget.

Unfortunately that was all they could get out of the father before he, too, broke down crying while hugging his wife. Chin's expression was solemn and Annabeth was left feeling a deep sorrow inside of her. Sorrow and anger; so they better found whoever was doing this and put an end to so much misery.

Not even a hour later, the whole team had gathered as much information as they could about what had happened, and since there was nothing else they could do at the scene, they decided to head to the office. The first rays of sunshine were starting to show on the horizon and there was no point in pretending the day hadn't already started.

The ride to the palace was actually peaceful since Danny and Steve had gone each with their own vehicles, so the usual morning bickering wouldn't start at least until they were inside the building. Sharing some theories inside Steve's blue truck, he and Annabeth tried to come up with an explanation as to why someone had decided to kill people from one particular college and they both agreed that, to do that, they needed to discover the pattern or at least something that could link all three victims together, apart from going to the same college.

\- But, what if there isn't any connection between the victims. What if this is actually a random hit? – asked Kono once they had all gathered around the smart table to study the three cases together. They were also sporting various types of drinks in their hands after having shared the food Chin had bought for all on their way to work.

\- There's gotta be something. Even when a serial killer attacks at random, there is always a way to connect the cases. If it's not the victims, then it's the M.O; if it's not the M.O then it's gotta be something else – said Annabeth.

\- Woah Woah, hold up a sec – interrupted Danny – why are we already treating this as a serial killer?

\- There's been three murders already – Chin said, as if that statement had been obvious.

\- Yeah, three murders that we can't really connect. I'm not saying it's not strange, but maybe we should be cautious as to how we use the word serial killer here. We don't want to start a panic – Danny concluded to which Steve actually agreed – I'm sorry, what was that again? – Danny asked his partner.

\- I said I think you're right – Steve answered while rolling his eyes at Danny's disbelieving face that soon broke into a grin – let's not jump to conclusions here. I think that, for now, let's take back the first two cases HPD was working on and study them as possibly related to the new one. We should dig deeper into the victimology, considering the M.O is completely different in all the scenarios. So what do we know about the victims? – Kono typed something on the smart table and then began to surmise the most important details so that they could all get a picture of who their victims were while they were alive.

\- The first victim was 22-year-old Charlie Robins, he was studying economics and was killed with a kitchen knife drove straight to the heart. He was found by his parents when they were coming home from work. They both work at the same law firm and came home around six in the afternoon. There were sings of struggle all over the livingroom and the kitchen but no DNA was found that could potentially belong to the killer. The second vic was a girl: Leia Kahani, 19 years old. She was studying biology and was a pretty good student. She was found strangled with an unknown object in the bathroom of her house. Unlike the previous one, there was no struggle in the house, only some stuff in the bathroom knocked over, presumably from when she fought unsuccessfully to get away from her attacker. Both parents had been away at the time of the murder, the mother had been working and the father had gone to their younger son's soccer game at school that day. Finally, another girl, 20-year-old Amy Stark; she was coursing her second year in psychology and was suffocated with a pillow on top of her head while their parents were asleep at the end of the hall. You know the rest: no struggle, no witnesses.

\- They are just so different – Chin said.

\- Were there any suspect in the first two murders? – Steve asked.

\- They interviewed a lot of people: friends, professors, family members. No one stood out. It says here that there was a special interest at first in one of the second vic's friends, Keoki Aikasu. He's 23 years old and was the last person to see Leia alive. According to him they had met at Leia's to study for a test the next day and the guy actually didn't have an alibi for when the crime was committed. He insisted that he had left Leia safe and sound at three o'clock sharp and then went straight to his apartment. He lives with his mother but she never gets home earlier that eight so no one could corroborate his story. Other than that, though, there was no evidence that connected him to the murder as well as no motive. Eventually HPD had to move on.

\- We should look into him again. If we can't tie him to the murder, maybe he could give us more information about his friend's life so we can point some arrows to other suspects – commented Annabeth.

\- You know what? – Steve suddenly exclaimed – I think I have an idea.

\- Oh boy! – Danny blew out some air – does it involve guns and grenades? – the team smirked at the comment because, for all they knew, he could be right.

\- No Daniel. For once, I'm gonna play it smart like you're always reminding me I should do more often.

\- Then I'm all ears…

 **Well, there's that! I know these first few chapter aren't as action filled as I normally like my stories to be, but I first need to set the grounds of the new case they're gonna be working on so that later I can play out the most important part of this story… the one where Steve finally tells Annabeth the truth about being brother and sister! I can't wait to get to that part… anyone wants to try and guess how it will be? I would love to see how you guys think it'll happen!**

 **With nothing left to say for now… until next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

 **Hello there! I'm back with chapter three… I just want to say that I'm getting more and more excited about this story and that always means more regular updates! At least, I hope so!**

 **I also hope you guys like where this is heading and I would really appreciate some feedback so, whatever you feel like to tell me about it, feel free to leave a review (comments, questions, ideas, requests, guesses of what's going to happen in future chapters) anything you like!**

 **Now, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my very good friend Aquababy58: I hope this new chapter takes your mind off things even if it's just for a little while… I really hope you enjoy reading it!**

 **On with the show…**

\- Why do you look so nervous? – asked Steve while they approached their destination aboard his truck.

\- It's my first day in college. What did you expect? – Annabeth answered, her eyes never leaving the passenger window where she gazed at the tons of students making their way into the building.

\- You know you're not actually starting college today, right?

\- Yeah, but this is as close as I'll ever be, so I have the right to be nervous – she stated simply and then turned her head to look at him – besides, it'll be good for my character. It'll give me more credibility – Steve finally made it to the drop point where other parents were dropping off their kids as well and before she could get out of the truck completely, he bombarded Annabeth with questions.

\- So, you remember who you need to approach? The information you have to gather? The people you need to talk to? Your classroom?

\- Yes, yes, yes... You _do_ remember this is not my first undercover work, right? – she asked back, amused at Steve's antics. She always found it funny the way Steve could act so smothering whenever she was about to go undercover. He, on his end, decided to overlook the question.

\- Remember that you have to meet with Dr. Sanders at some point during the day... What?! – he asked at seeing Annabeth's incredulous look.

\- Will you stop already with the check list? I know what I have to do.

\- Fine... – finally Annabeth grabbed her bag pack and pulled the handle to open the door – so... Are you ready? – he couldn't resist asking.

\- _Oh my God!_ – was all she replied before stepping out of the truck and slamming the door shut. The last thing she noticed before heading for the entrance was Steve's goofy smile through the window, to which she responded with a roll of her eyes.

He may not realize it but he and Danny were more alike than they both cared to admit, and when one wasn't around to mess with another member of the team, the other wasn't too far away to fill in the space. Annabeth sometimes wondered how she could put up with being partnered with them all the time. Between the jokes, Danny's rants, Steve's magnetism for danger and the never ending "carguments", she wondered how she was still sane.

If she was honest with herself though, as much as some of the things Steve did irritated her (like acting all mother hen whenever she went undercover or got hurt on the job), she had to admit that she liked it: the dynamic they all had. It made her feel like she belonged somewhere and after almost three years into the team, she couldn't help but think about all of them as true friends. They had been through their fair share of stuff together: Steve's abduction in North Korea, Danny's sarin poisoning, Kono's suspention from the force and, most recently, Steve's mom being alive. They had all been hard blows on everyone but instead of bringing them down, they came closer together and acted as a well-oiled machine. Sometimes... well, most of the time, people didn't get their dynamic. But since it brought results, they let them be for the most part; even the Governor.

What there was no doubt about is that with Five-0 around, the island had become a safer place. That is also why they were handling this complicated case now.

There wasn't a more complicated case than the ones where no connection can ever be made between victims and _modus operandi_ ; the murders that seem random always take longer to solve and when serial killers were involved, it was always necessary to proceed with caution. And yes, Annabeth had already decided to consider this a case of a serial killer.

With such a layout, several things had to be taken into account when proceeding in an investigation: the perp (if it was just one) could be (probably was) mentally unstable, a sociopath or even a psychopath, so absolutely anything, even the smallest of things could set them off into another round of killing spree; it could make him evolve and develop his way of killing; it could also make him stop and flee, disappear from radar and make it almost impossible to find him again until the person resurfaced with more murders and that could be years from now. So, yes; they needed to approach this carefully and that's where Steve's plan came to play.

He had suggested an undercover operation to gain information from inside the university and what better way to do that than to send someone in as a student? Annabeth, of course, was supposed to approach some very specific people to try and understand what was the connection between all three victims; to understand what had made them vulnerable to the attacks.

She would pose as some kind of exchange student from London who had come to take a few curses in biology for a project she was working on back home. The only person who knew who she really was and what was going on was the Principal, who had agreed to help Five-0's investigation by giving her a position inside the student body and a very good excuse as to why she would start classes almost in the middle of the semester. The Principal had been the one to suggest the fake project and the need for her to just spend a few months in the US while she advanced on it. "Field research" he called it and they gladly took it.

Now, on her way to her first class of the day, her eyes surfed above the crowd of students already taking their seats and waiting for the professor to arrive. She recognized her primary target and made a bee line for the fifth row, going over some students to get to the empty seat next to him. She smiled as a cordial salute and then opened her notebook to start her role as a student.

This was a chemistry class and she couldn't help but thinking that posing as a biology student might be just a little more difficult than she had originally thought.

 **TAN, TAN, TAN! Undercover work! For those of you who know me and my stories you know that I love an undercover operation, so I decided to throw one right here!**

 **I know that the chapters of this story are shorter than I normally write them but, since I'm still fighting a bit with my muse, I decided to write shorter chapters that will allow me to post more frequently so you guys don't have to wait that long between updates to know how the story goes… That being said, I'd love to hear what you think of this new story!**

 **Until next chapter (which I'll hopefully start writing now)!**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

 **I am happy and excited because you won't have to wait too much to read a new chapter of this story since I'm back with chapter 4! So far, in this story, it has been my favorite chapter to write and that's why I think it's a bit longer the previous three, which I hope it pleases you.**

 **Very slowly the story is coming together in my mind, so hopefully we'll be getting to the interesting part soon: the part where Steve tells Annabeth they're related. Oh, and how will the rest of the team react to those news? We'll have to wait just a little bit more to see.**

 **Now, without further a due, here's chapter 4! Enjoy!**

Her first target was Keoki Aikasu because he had been a person of interest in the second vic's investigation, given that he had been the last person to see her alive although HPD could never actually pin him to the murder. She was supposed to establish conversation with him so that at some point they could talk about the murders taking place among the student body. Whether that conversation took place today or a week from now, it all depended on the guy's willingness to make new friends and Annabeth's ability to introduce the subject in a totally non accusing way.

Since they actually couldn't afford to spend a month looking into things from the inside (mostly because at the rate the murders had been taking place, there could be another victim at any given moment) she decided to start the conversation right away.

\- Hi there, may I bother you with a question? – she asked making full use of her accent since she was supposed to be a student from London. The chemistry class had just ended and everyone was gathering their books and notebooks to head to their next class. For a moment, the guy sent a weird look her way; like he was surprised she was speaking to him at all. But the look only lasted for about two seconds before his eyes adopted a kind glee and he smiled before answering.

\- Sure. What do you need?

\- Well, I'm new here and I don't know my way around the building yet so, do you know where I can find the laboratory? My next class starts in about five minutes and I really shouldn't be late on my first day.

\- The lab? I'm headed there now. Looks like we share the next class too – Annabeth offered him a big smile.  
\- Cool. I'm Emma by the way – she introduced herself while offering him a hand to shake.

\- Keoki – he said back, accepting the shake and maybe holding into it just a tiny bit longer than necessary – how come this be your first day? We're already on our way to the finals.

\- I'm on a field research trip. A friend of mine and I are working on a project about the relationship between weather conditions, climate and geographical position with the regeneration of cells and their healing mechanisms. She drew the short straw and went to work on cold weather conditions while I get to spend a couple of months in paradise. The university kindly agreed to let me attend to some of the classes related with my project so that I can compare and improve the theoretical part of it – she finished explaining.

\- Sounds like a lot of work – he said while they approached the lab.

\- Yes, but hopefully it'll be worth it – they took their seats and talked a bit more about her project while they waited for the teacher to arrive.

The rest of the day passed by in a boring succession of classes that covered a bunch of subjects she really wasn't all that interested about and that she also didn't share with Keoki. They hadn't want to seem suspicious at all and that's why she wasn't enrolled in every class that he was in, giving her actually some space to talk to other students and find out a little more about Leia Kahani, the second victim.

The murder had happened two weeks ago and so the topic was still very much alive between the students, which is why no one hesitated on confirming the "rumor" she had heard about a biology student getting killed.

\- She was such a good student – someone told her.

\- Did you know she wasn't the only student murdered? – another one said.

\- People is starting to think that the university is cursed.

\- They've even brought a shrink to help anyone who'd like to talk about the murders.

Those where the responses she got through the whole day until she decided that it was time to go visit this shrink that the Principal had hired for the sake of the students most affected by the recent losses. So, making her way to the pointed office, she actually had to wait in line behind a few girls to be able to enter. The sign at the door read: Dr. Greg Sanders.

The door suddenly opened and a girl with red rimmed eyes got out, hugging a pair of books to her chest and walking past the waiting students without even a glance in their direction. Immediately the next girl in line stepped through the door and closed it behind her. When it was finally her turn, some 45 minutes later, she made her way into the office.

The room was pretty simple, with only a desk and a few chairs around it since it had been set up recently and there hadn't been any time or need to fill it with unnecessary furniture. On top of the desk there was a stack of papers and a couple of pens that the doctor used to take notes from his sessions in case he needed them to remember important details of his conversations with the various students seeking help dealing with the recent murders of fellow students and friends.

The man behind the desk took off his glasses upon seeing her walk in and let out a blow of breath because it had been a tiring experience listening to so many troubled kids.

\- Rough day? – Annabeth asked as a way of greeting while she dropped her bag on the floor and took a seat in front of him.

\- You could say that – he responded while pressing his index finger and thumb into his eyes.

\- At least I hope it's been productive – she stated, giving him a sympathetic smile.

\- Yeah, well, next time that stubborn thick headed partner of mine decides to throw an undercover op, he's the one who's gonna have to act and dress up – he complained, at which Annabeth rolled her eyes because, when did he _not_ complain?

\- Like I said, I hope at least the day was productive. What did you manage to find out? – Danny opened his eyes again and started going through the papers around his desk.

\- I've seen a total of eight people: seven students and one teacher. They were mostly students that have been having a hard time understanding why people can be so bad, hurting and killing others. I talked to a friend of the last victim and I managed to know a little bit about what he was like as a person and a friend. The professor who came used to teach Leia and she was devastated that such a bright young girl was gone now. I didn't hear anything especial about the first victim and, all in all, there was no suspicious or different behavior from any of the victims prior to their murders. So, we're still right at the beginning of this thing – he finished referring to their investigation – what about you?

She told him about her day and the pieces of information she was able to gather from talking to different people throughout the day. Finally, she told him about her primary target, Keoki Aikasu, and the progress she had made during the morning.

\- So, we haven't talked about Leia yet, or any of the other murders, but at least we're on speaking terms. I'll try to bring up the subject soon.

\- Good, good. Although I hope Chin, Kono and Steve's day has been better. I just want to caught this person and be done with pretending to be a shrink.

\- It's only been a day Danny – Annabeth pointed out.

\- Yeah but pretending to be able to help people deal with their personal struggles while what I'm really doing is fishing out for information is just not something I'm comfortable with – he said, clearly serious about this matter and Annabeth couldn't think of anything useful to say. She knew Danny was a person with great values and maybe he was feeling like taking advantage of people when they came to talk to him believing they were seeing an specialist. Putting it that way, she now understood why he was complaining and, in this case, she couldn't actually blame him for it.

\- Let's just hope we can solve this sooner rather than later – she finally said and made a move to grab her bag pack.

\- Do you have any more classes today? – Danny asked, putting on his fake glasses and fixing his tie.

\- No, I'm all done. Steve's picking me up now. See you at the office?

\- Sure – Annabeth got up and headed for the door but before she opened it, she turned around.

\- We're gonna solve this Danny – she stated, believing every word she was saying. He appreciated the comment because he knew she was saying that to lift up his spirits, so he gave her a reassuring smile that indicated he was alright and nodded.

\- I know – he said, and then repeated after she had left – I know…

 **Sooooo? What did you guys think? Did you like it? I think that for this story I may explore a bit more the world of dialogue. I love writing dialogues and trying to get the characters right! Danny is specially fun to write about in a dialogue. Do you know what dialogue will be interesting to write? The one between Steve and Annabeth once the truth is revealed. I truly hope the moment comes soon!**

 **Well… I guess all that's left to say is: until next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

 **Welcome back! I'm sorry it's taken me so many days to write the new chapter but I had trouble making it look like I wanted to. I have a little surprise for you guys in this chapter that I really hope you like!**

\- Hey Boss – Kono gritted him when he got out of his office – any word from Danny or Annabeth?

\- Hey. Not yet. I'm picking her up now and then we'll gather again here around three to go over their findings – he responded and then asked a question himself – any progress on the background check? – Kono typed a few things on the smart table and then slid her hand over it to send the information to the big screen.

\- I've been working on finding a motive for the murders. Thinking it could have something to do with money, I ran a background check on the kid's parents and then extended the search to their adjacent family. Nothing stands out. If anything, Charlie Robin's parents hold good jobs and a decent paycheck each, but the other two are just hardworking families trying to get their children through college. If the motive was economical, one would think at least there was a significant amount of money to gain from all this. There are also no unusual transactions from any of the accounts – she finished.

\- Yeah, I don't think the usual motives apply on this case. But we need to cover them anyway. Keep working on that and we'll continue on it once we're all back here. I gotta run now, don't wanna be late picking Annabeth up – Steve said, already heading out the door.

\- Better run boss, you know how she gets... – Kono said with an amused smile on her face before focusing again on the smart table and digging her way into the victim's life.

Steve pulled out his phone from his pocket before starting the engine and sent a text to Annabeth, letting her know he was on his way. She was supposed to have classes only until right past midday and so the team had decided to share that morning's progress after lunch. Danny would join them as well after he used the extra time between the first period of classes and the second to talk to other professors about the murders with the excuse of providing "counsel" not just for the students but for the teachers as well.

Steve seriously hoped they had managed to gather enough new information to be able to establish a connection between the victims. Information that wasn't on any file or police investigation. Things like what they usually did between classes, who they hung out with, what they ate, even how many times they used to go to the bathroom between breaks. At this point he would take anything if it meant finding the right connection between them. He refused to accept that this murders were random and he was worried because, random or not, the time between each murder hadn't been longer than a week; which meant that either they found their killer soon, or they would be adding another young face to this case's file.

His phone beeped with a reply telling him that she was done and he relaxed because he was only five minutes away now.

When Annabeth put her phone away after texting Steve her reply, she stood there contemplating how bizarre this scenario was in her life: waiting for someone to pick her up from a day in college. She had never even considered the idea of attending one given how she had led her life since she was barely a teenager, not even managing to graduate from high school.

This job, if it could even be considered a job at the time she was approached by the agency, had consumed every aspect of her life, giving her no time to think about her future or if she wanted to do something else with her life. Some time after Alex had been killed and she was let go from the agency, she had trouble moving on or finding something else to do because how do you settle into a normal job after everything you've seen... After everything you've done... Getting a spot on the task force had been almost like a blessing (even if she was a little reluctant to accept it at first) because it provided her with the opportunity to continue to help make the world a safer place but without being forced to do it under such extreme circumstances as she did before.

She was beginning to picture how life would be like as a normal college student when she saw Steve's truck rounding the corner and getting closer.

\- Nice timing – she said when she got in and then together they headed back to the office.

After lunch and a couple of more hours digging through every piece of information they had, they still weren't closer than they were that morning from finding their killer.

\- This is ridiculous – complained Danny – if I didn't know any better I'd say this killer has finally managed to commit the perfect crime.

\- Come on Danny, you know there's no such thing – said Chin, having to take one step away from the blond detective because his frustrated hand gestures were starting to get out of control.

\- We gotta be missing something – commented Kono while her eyes never left the white board.

This wasn't something they usually did, decorate a white board with all the information from a case, but since this one was proving to be so difficult to solve, they had decided to use every technique available if it meant getting results. Sadly, although the board was supposed to help give them some perspective, they still had nothing: no true suspects, no motive, no connection... Nothing. Steve was also contemplating the board and staring at the young faces of the victims when he finally decided.

\- I think we need some help with this one.

\- What do you mean? – Annabeth asked him.

\- I mean, we don't really have that much experience working with serial killers and... Yes, I'm starting to believe we might be dealing with one here. The no connection thing, the lack of motive for each of the victims. When a serial killer is involved, normally the usual motives don't fit the crimes and since we have no suspect... – he left the sentence unsaid.

\- So what? You think it's time to have a more psychological approach? Get the bureau involved? – intervened Danny.

\- I think that a profiler might be able to see what we're missing here and I think I know just who to call – Steve answered with a smile and grabbed his phone. He searched through his list of contacts and hit the call button, dropping his phone on the smart table so everyone else could hear the conversation. A few rings later, Lori Weston answered the phone.

\- Steve? – she said, surprised to get a call from him – it's been a while. Is everything alright?

\- Hi Lori, sorry to bother you right now. I'm with the guys here – everyone said a collective greeting for her to hear – and we were wondering if you could help us out with a tough case we got.

\- Sure, anything I can do to help – she answered after greeting everyone back – what do you have?

Steve then proceeded to give her a kind of condensed version of the case they were currently working on, asking for her opinion and advice as a profiler.

\- Well, it does sound like the work of a serial killer. You say you don't have any other connection between the victims but the fact that they all went to the same college right?

\- That's right – confirmed Danny.

\- Well maybe that's all the connection you need. Try cross-referencing that fact with every member of the families for now. If the usual motives aren't working with the victim's cases, then maybe it has more to do with the killer. In that case, you need to concentrate on the elements of the murders that relate to him and not the victims.

\- Like what? How do we know which elements correspond to the victim and which correspond to the killer? – asked Kono.

\- The timing of the murders, for example. That has more to do with the killer and his reasons for killing than with the victims. The places where the murders took place, the position the bodies were found in. All of that creates a direct line to the killer. All of that can help you determine a profile and if any of your suspects fits it, then that's your killer right there.

\- Do you think you can create a profile for us? – Steve asked her.

\- Sure. Send me the file with as much detail as you can and I'll have a profile ready for you tomorrow. I'm sorry it can't be sooner than that but I'm kind of in the middle of a case too – she apologized.

\- Hey, no worries. We appreciate you taking the time to do this and we're sorry to dump this on you all of the sudden – Danny said.

\- Yeah, Lori. Mahalo sister – Kono thanked her with a smile on her face although Lori couldn't see it.

\- I'll send you the file right away. Thanks Lori.

\- Sure thing Steve. Guys…

\- Bye Lori! – they all said in unison before she hang up.

\- Now, _that_ my friend, was a smart move – Danny complimented Steve while patting him on the shoulder.

\- By the way, I found out a group of students is gonna host some sort of memorial honoring the students who died. Neither of the victims belonged to one but the ceremony will be held at one of the fraternity houses. I was thinking I should go and see if I notice anything strange – Annabeth said, remembering some of the chattering she heard during the day.

\- Great. When is the ceremony taking place?

\- Tonight.

\- Alright then. Until Lori gets back to us with the profile we can't move forward in the investigation. Annabeth, you'll go to the fraternity house and see what you can find out, I can drive and wait for you a couple of blocks from the house. As for the rest, I think you can all head home and we'll continue to work tomorrow, hopefully with more information.

Everyone agreed and soon they all headed home. Annabeth and Steve went to his house so she could get changed and then headed towards the place where the ceremony would be held. If she wanted to find more personal information of the victims, what better place to do it but a house full of heartbroken friends and alcohol? Because there definitely would be alcohol. After all, what was a fraternity house without it?

 **I know… crappy ending. I'll try to do better next time.**

 **What did you think about Lori's little appearance back there? I thought it would be a nice touch to add her to the story even if it was just through a phone call and given the fact that she is a profiler, I thought it fit perfectly with the case they are trying to solve.**

 **Now, we are getting closer and closer to the moment of truth. I think maybe two or three more chapters and then BOOM the big truth is revealed! Care to adventure on how it will be done? I would love to see what you think will happen! Also, I hope the thing with the dialogue that I'm trying for this story isn't boring you much… I find it really interesting to tell the story using a lot of dialogue between characters; let me know what you think about that too!**

 **Well… I'll keep working on it now so… until next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

 **I would like to use this segment to thank everyone who's reading and following this story! Also, I didn't get the chance to properly thank Aquababy58 and Stephanie for your wonderful reviews! Your reviews keep me alivie on this site, even if I spend some time away. Stephanie: it's great to have you on board of this story as well and I can't wait to hear more thoughts about it from you. Aquababy58: my dear friend, your reviews are aways the highlight of my days and they always manage to put a smile on my face.**

 **I hope you can all enjoy this chapter and a bit of undercover work!**

The depressing mood was palpable the moment she steeped through the door.

There was some low instrumental music playing on the background and lots of whispers and conversations. Some girls were crying while others comforted them and many more were walking around between three different shrouds dedicated to each of the victims. They were decorated with flowers, candles, pictures and letters. Words from friends trying to say one last goodbye to the victims.

Annabeth walked around the living room where the three shrouds were and inspected them carefully. By the amount of things surrounding them, she could tell these kids were really appreciated. She was inspecting the third victim's shroud when a boy a little bit taller than her stood next to her.

\- Hi – he said – did you know her? – he looked friendly enough although a bit sad.

\- Umm no… - she answered as if ashamed to be somewhere she didn't belong to – I'm new here and I found out about the murders. I think it's terrible something like this can happen and I figured I could pay my respects by stopping by – her eyes turned to the picture in front of her – they were so young…

\- Yeah… it's a shame that they had to die when their lives were just starting – the guy agreed, also looking at the picture of Amy Stark.

\- Did they belong to this fraternity? That's why this has taken place here? – Annabeth asked, trying to get as much information as she could.

\- Actually no. None of them did, but since the university isn't hosting any kind of ceremony, we decided to do it instead. After all, fraternity or not, we're all students from the same college right?

\- That's a very nice gesture – she complimented him. They stood in silence for a while and then she decided to be a little bit more straightforward – why do you think this happened? – she asked, using a tone of voice that indicated she was just trying to find answers to a terrible act of human cruelty.

\- Who knows? Maybe they pissed off the wrong person.

\- Aren't you worried that there's been so many killings among the students? What about the police? – she asked.

\- Well, it's not like it's the first time a student has died. This is just an island after all. I suppose it is concerning that these deaths happened so close to each other but maybe that's fate, you know? Coincidences? I don't know… and I don't think the police knows anything about it either. If they did, it would be all over the news. So far, the only thing on the news is Amy's murder – the guy turned to her – listen, I gotta go talk to some other people but thank you for stopping by; I realize you didn't have to.

\- That's okay, I won't take any more of your time – she said with a smile.

After the guy left, she looked around the room and recognized Keoki sporting a drink and leaning on the doorframe. She glanced one last time at the pictures in front of her and then made her way to him.

\- Hello – she said, making sure to keep her British accent present – remember me? – he had been absorbed into looking at the picture of the victims, and it took a few seconds for him to notice that she was talking to him.

\- Oh! Hi... Yeah, yeah. Cell regenerations right? – he asked, letting her know he remembered who she was. She smiled.

\- Yep. That's me – she signaled the pictures on the living room and added – this is so awful. Did you know them?

\- I knew Leia. We used to meet to study – Annabeth brought her hand to cover her mouth in surprise.

\- Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I didn't know.

\- It's okay. It's just... We were supposed to hang out this week because chemistry's final is next friday and she was going to explain a part of the subject I still don't understand very well. And then this happens... – he took a long sip from his beverage.

\- Did they catch whoever did it?

\- No. Some protectors we have right? – he said sarcastically, she assumed he was referring to the police.

\- Look, if there is anything I can do to help you. You were very nice to me this morning so don't hesitate to ask – then for the first time that night, he fixed his eyes on hers and she noticed an intensity she hadn't seen earlier that day. This boy was suffering for his friend's loss and she couldn't help but feel guilty at investigating him as a suspect. She knew she had a job to do and maybe now she could understand why Danny was so reluctant about his part in this operation as well.

\- Thanks. I really appreciate it – he returned the smile she offered but his gaze kept its intensity to the point of starting to become uncomfortable but before she could say anything to break such awkward moment, a loud cry was heard from a girl right in front of Charlie Robins's picture. The girl had fallen to her knees and was hugging a friend of her that was trying to soothe her.

\- Please calm down... Shh... Shh...

\- It's not fair! – the girl cried while tears ran freely down her cheeks – I want him to come back! Why can't he come back?! – everyone was watching the scene and Annabeth didn't need Keoki's confirmation to know that the girl had been Charlie's girlfriend.

\- Come on sweety – her friend kept trying to calm her down – why don't we go to the bathroom? – the girl kept crying and hugging her friend desperately but she didn't make any move to get up from the floor. Annabeth watched the friend looking troubled at everyone around them because she didn't know what else to do, and that's when Annabeth excused herself from Keoki and approached the two girls on the floor.

\- Need a hand? – she asked the girl's friend who looked at her gratefully. Together they managed to help the crying girl get up from the floor and guide her to one of the second floor's bathroom. The three of them entered the room and by the time the girl had washed her face, she had calmed down enough to talk to them.

\- Are you alright? – asked Annabeth – what's your name?

\- Marian – she answered with a trembling voice. A few tears escaped her eyes again and she wiped them with the back of her hand – I'm so sorry this is just so hard!

\- You have nothing to apologize for. I know how hard this must be for you – Annabeth said, sending an understating smile her way. Then she turned to Marian's friend – do you need help with anything else?

\- Oh no! Thank you so much I didn't know how else to calm her.

\- It's alright – then she addressed Marian again – how long were you two together before this happened? – the girl took her time to answer but eventually she did.

\- Two years. We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together and travel around the world – she said, her voice getting caught on her throat – now what am I going to do? I can't live without him! – she started weeping again and Annabeth put a hand on her shoulder feeling a lot of sympathy for the girl.

\- I'm sure you'll find a way - she tried to reassure her.

\- How? It's been almost a month and every day just gets harder and harder! – Annabeth reflected on what to say to try and help her and suddenly she got an idea.

\- You know what? I lost someone I cared about deeply some time ago too, and I'm not gonna lie, there is not one day that goes by that I don't think about him and, sometimes, when it gets really hard I remember the last day I spent with him. I remember what we did and everything he said to me and somehow I feel closer to him. As if by remembering our last conversation I could keep that moment alive forever... – she waited for a minute to let the message sink in – do you remember your last day with him? You remember what you talked about? – Marian closed her eyes, letting another couple of tears run down her cheeks and took a deep breath.

\- We had spent the afternoon together. He took me to lunch before dropping me at my house and we talked mostly about what we were going to do that weekend. He... He said he had gotten the idea of flying to Chicago even if just for a weekend to visit the rest of his family... His cousins and he... – she took another breath – he wanted me to go with him and I told him I didn't think my parents would let me and he said we could convince them because he really wanted to go. Apparently he had talked about Chicago with a guy in the morning and he had gotten homesick. The way he talked about his home was so endearing that I told him I would talk to my parents about it and that night I did and they didn't exactly agree but they didn't say no either and so I called him to tell him there was a chance but he didn't pick up his phone and I though he must have fallen asleep and... And... – and then she broke down crying again.

Annabeth hated herself for having poked around the wound as much as she had but this kind of information was exactly what she needed to figure out while she was undercover. Stuff like this didn't appear on any file and although it wasn't that much helpful to determine who the killer was, it might prove useful in the future.

She held the girl while she cried until her friend took over her place and she was able to leave the bathroom. She had already been inside the house for a couple of hours and although she tried, not many people was in the mood to talk to her. If she kept trying, she might have been tagged as insensible and annoying, so she decided to call it a day. She didn't see Keoki or Marian again so she didn't have to say goodbye to anyone when she left.

While she was walking down the street to where Steve would be waiting with the truck, her mind couldn't help but think back to her conversation with Charlie's girlfriend. The girl had been so heartbroken that it reminded her of herself a few years back, and having mentioned her own tragedy to try and get the girl to open up to her had also left a bitter taste on her mouth. Whenever she remembered the last day she spent with Alex, her heart ached and her throat constricted. No matter how much time had passed, the memory still hurt her into the deepest part of her soul.

 **Alright! There you have it! Next chapter will be filled with Steve's and Annabeth's brother and sister relationship that we all know and love (even if she doesn't know it yet), so you can expect some drama while she thinks back to Alex and her own loss. Steve, of course, will be there to remind her that she's not alone anymore… I hope I can portray what I have in my mind the way I want it to be, so that may take a little while… although, two chapters in a day? I think that had me covered for a couple of days! Don't despair though… you might get a surprise tomorrow…**

 **Until next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

 **Hi there! I'm proud to announce I wrote a full new chapter today and here it is! Chapter 7! At first I wasn't satisfied with how it was going but in the end, I liked the result and I can only hope you guys like it too… like I said last time… here's some Steve and Annabeth brother and sister moment even though she doesn't know Steve's her brother yet… Let's see how it goes…**

When they went back to Steve's house, Annabeth said something he thought he would never hear coming from her.

\- I need a drink – he was so astonished by that comment that he missed her going over to the kitchen and opening the fridge. When he focused on her again, she was already carrying two bottles of beer and offering one to him – want one?

\- Yeah – he answered reluctantly while grabbing the offered bottle and following her out to the lanai. He watched as she adjusted her jacket and sat down crossed legged near the two chairs that had occupied that spot of the private beach since as long as he could remember. He waited a minute before heading her direction as he watched her take a long drink from her bottle. She swallowed three or four times and by the time he made it all the way to her and sat down on the sand as well, she was shaking her head as if she had gotten chills and made a sour face.

\- Argh! God, I hate beer! – she exclaimed before taking another sip and then putting the bottle down in the sand in front of her. Steve studied her while she stared at the ocean, also taking a sip from his bottle.

\- Are you okay? Wanna tell me what's bothering you? – Annabeth looked at him with an amused smile on her face.

\- What makes you think something's bothering me? – he eyed her incredulously.

\- Come on... You're drinking – he answered as if it was obvious, pointing at the bottle placed in front of her – you never drink – she laughed.

\- True... – she went quiet then and brought the bottle up to take a few more drinks. The bottle was almost empty now and not even five minutes had passed since she had opened it. Something was definitely wrong, Steve thought, but instead of pressuring her to tell him, because he didn't think the tactic would work on her, he started a conversation that had nothing to do with the case they were working on.

\- Why do you always sit on the sand? – he asked.

\- What do you mean? – he signaled to the place they were both occupying right now.

\- I have never seen you using the chairs. Every time you're out here, you just sit on the sand. Why? – she seemed like she was reflecting on the matter, as if she hadn't noticed that fact. She also considered brushing off the matter as an unimportant picked up habit, but she decided against it. She had already let him know that there was something bothering her, hence the whole _'I need a drink_ ' thing, so she might as well just be honest. She figured that after almost three years of living together, she could confide in him about what was bothering her.

\- Well... I've always felt that using one of the chairs would be like trespassing something – she let out a blow of breath when she saw Steve's confused look – this was your father's place, where he sat down to share beers with his friends. You've told me so...

\- Yeah but that doesn't mean you can't use them. Everybody uses them – Steve told her, intrigued by where this conversation was headed. Annabeth emptied her bottle and placed it in the sand again before turning around and looking at him.

\- I guess I just feel like I have no right to use them – Steve frowned and thought that if anyone had any right to use those chairs, it was her. This was her house too after all... John had been her father too. But, of course, he didn't tell her that. He still didn't have the courage to tell her that.

\- You know that's not true. Where is this coming from? – instead of answering his question though, she made one of her own.

\- Do you know what I had to do tonight? I had to sit down with one of our victim's girlfriend and comfort her about the fact she had just lost the love of her life. I manipulated her to remember her last day with him and tell me about it. I played on her desperation to be with him again and made her tell me about the last conversation she had with him. It wasn't a very pleasant thing to do... – Steve waited a few seconds to answer, not sure how to do it or why she would be so affected by it.

\- I'm sorry it was hard on you. Must have Been difficult – he settled with that.

\- That's the thing right there. It wasn't difficult. I didn't even hesitate to do it and I didn't hesitate to use _him_ to do it – okay, now Steve was confused. Usually Annabeth was a very straight forward girl, no beating around the bushes to tell anyone anything, but somehow she didn't seem to be trying too hard to organize her thoughts, and that told him one thing: either the beer had already taken effect, or she was trying to deal with her emotions and, if that was the case, he didn't know if he was the right person to help her. After all, he wasn't very good at dealing with emotional stuff either.

\- Who are you talking about? – before answering, she started playing with her empty bottle and filling it with sand.

\- Alex... I... I never talk about him and I've never told anyone about what happened and tonight I brought him up to get a complete stranger to open up to me – a pause – somehow it feels like I've trespassed a boundary; just like with your father's chairs – she kept filling the bottle with sand without saying another word because her throat had constricted uncomfortably and she didn't trust herself to keep talking at the moment. Steve sensed her apprehension and just sat there, thinking about what she had just said. It had been almost five years now since that rescue mission when he had met her for the first time and when Alex had been killed and, still, he could see the pain reflected on her eyes. A pain that not only just hadn't left, but it held the same intensity it did all those years ago. How could a girl so young at that moment be able to love a boy the way Annabeth loved Alex? They were just kids, not even old enough to understand the depths of love, yet, somehow, her pain was as deep as the love itself.

\- Have you ever talked about what happened with anyone? I mean like... a professional? – he asked, a little timidly because he didn't want to upset her with his suggestion.

\- I don't think there's a shrink in the world with enough clearance to hear half of the stuff I would tell – she said bitterly and sarcastically at the same time.

\- But you've talked to me – he stated, remembering the only other time Alex's name had come up during a conversation between them while they were both in his office. It hadn't been long and she hadn't said much, but it was as much as she had said about him since the day they met. Annabeth then stopped playing with the bottle, given that it was already full with sand and looked at him straight in the eyes.

\- Yeah... But I trust you – she said – I don't trust shrinks.

Steve was only able to hold her gaze for a total of five seconds and then he used the excuse of taking a sip from his drink to break the eye contact. A terrible feeling was settling deep inside of him and it was actually making him blush with embarrassment: guilt.

Here she was, a very well trained and experience spy with obvious trust issues telling him that she trusted him enough to talk about the only subject that affected her and rattled her to the core and he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he was lying to her. Every day since he had found her on that club and she later joined the task force, he had been lying to her by not telling who she really was, what they really were.

He almost, for a second, let it all out right there. It would be so simple, to just say " _hey! Guess what! I'm your brother!_ " only it actually wasn't that simple. The moment she found out he hadn't told her the truth, she wouldn't forgive him and he didn't know if he could handle her hating him forever. He'd rather keep her in the dark forever than risking her leaving out of anger.

Annabeth also studied him after she had finished talking and couldn't help but notice the change in him. Something dark had crossed his face but she didn't understand what it was. Maybe it hadn't been anything and the beer was getting to her head already.

\- And _that's_ why don't like to drink – she exclaimed, getting up and brushing the sand from her pants – I get too sensitive and talk too much – Steve laughed and got up as well.

\- Maybe that's not such a bad thing – he said – Danny always says is good to share your feelings once in a while.

\- Yeah, well, let's hope this 'once' doesn't happen in a while. I'm heading up. Good night – she said and then headed inside. When she was about to go up the stairs, Steve called for her.

\- If you ever feel like there's too much on your mind... Well... I'm here for you, okay?

\- Roger that.

He watched her disappear up the stairs and then sat down on the couch to finish his own beer.  
He couldn't lose her. He refused to lose her, and that's why he had made a decision about it: he wouldn't tell her the truth. He'd rather live with the guilt of having to lie to her every day than risking not having her around at all because she was too mad at him to stay.

 **Well! What did you think? I think it was a sweet moment between them and the starting of a brother and sister relationship that will involve the kind of trust you've all read on my previous stories (stories that happen after this one… I know that my way of posting the stories is a little confusing, even for me. But hopefully it has made the whole Annabeth world interesting to read). And what is that about Steve deciding not to tell Annabeth the truth? What will compel him to tell her later? Or will she find out another way? Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out! I'm still working on the details because I want that chapter to be great!**

 **Well… I hope to see you on the next chapter! Until then!**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

 **Hello there! I just finished writing chapter eight and I just couldn't wait to post it! I really liked how this chapter came out and I hope you guys like it too!**

 **Thank you so much to Aquababy58 and Stephanie or your reviews: you're awesome!**

 **By the way: lots of dialogue in this chapter… I enjoyed very much writing it.**

\- Hey guys! Lori on the phone! – Steve said, walking out of his office and heading for the smart table to place the phone on it and putting it on speaker. Chin and Kono were the only other ones in the office apart from Steve, since Danny and Annabeth were at the university acting undercover.

\- Lori, did you manage to make a profile? – Chin asked, placing both hands on the table.

\- Yeah, although it's not much. The profile is pretty general because, you're right, the lack of connection between victims makes the use of victimology almost like a waste of time – Steve ran his hands through his hair and let out a breath.

\- I was afraid of that, but anything can help us. What have you got? – he asked her.

\- Alright – came Lori's professional voice from the other side of the line – I believe you're dealing with only one unsub, the constant change in MO indicates he's trying to cover his tracks, avoid any connection that could trace back to him. He seems pretty sociable considering the victims are all from different gender, ages and social status. He's most likely young, closer to the victim's ages although it's hard to determine an exact age with just the information on this file. No idea whether he's native Hawaiian or _haole_. I'm sorry guys but that's all I can give you.

\- You keep saying "him". Are you positive the unsub is male? – Kono asked after writing down every detail Lori had just described.

\- Based on the autopsy reports from all three victims, I would say the unsub must be pretty strong and tall to subdue another person enough to suffocate or to stab. That alone is not a 100% guarantee that the killer is a man, but if you consider that, plus the method of the killing: stabbing, suffocating and strangling, those are all methods preferred by men. So yes, I believe the unsub is a man – she finished with a methodical tone of voice.

\- Alright Lori, we appreciate the help and if there's anything new, we'll call you – Steve said before finishing the call.

\- You got it guys! Oh! – she exclaimed before the connection was cut off – there's something else you should do to try and get more clues. Find out if there's ever been another string of violent deaths at the university. Go back at least five years, concentrating on the last two. There must be something significant about the date of the first murder. That date or the days surrounding it must mean something to the killer. Something must have triggered him to act.

\- Will do – Chin confirmed and then the call was ended – that could prove useful. I'll run the background check on the university. Maybe Lori's right and this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

\- Alright – agreed Steve – you check on that. Kono, go through every person related to this case and see if you can find anyone who fits the profile. I reckon there will be plenty of hits, but we gotta start somewhere.

\- What will you do? – she asked as he was starting to walk back into his office.

\- I'll update Danny into the profile Lori gave us so he can be on high alert whenever someone goes in to see him – and, with that, everyone got to work. Maybe with a little bit of luck, they would finally get results that day.

 **H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50**

When she walked into the classroom, Annabeth zeroed in on Keoki and went to sit right next to him. He was just as friendly as he had been the previous day and they made small talk about the subject they were currently working on.

\- Urgh! I'm just having the hardest of times understanding the last part of yesterday's lesson. This course was supposed to help me with my investigation, not confuse me further – Annabeth complained right after the class had ended and they were both heading for the lab. Just as the day before, they shared the first two classes of the day and then they both would go their separate ways. It was a friday and if she didn't do something soon, the whole weekend would go by without them seeing each other again. She needed some time away from the classes to bring up the subject of the murders and that meant she needed to act quickly. It had been almost a week now since the discovery of the third victim's body... Time was running out on a possible fourth victim.

\- Well it's actually not that complicated. You know, the text book is really helpful on chapter 9...

\- Do you think you could help me with it? Maybe explain some of the notes I took that now I can't remember what they meant when the professor was talking – she asked, with a hopeful look on her eyes and a flirty smile on her face.

\- Ammm... – he seemed like he was debating whether or not to help her but eventually a small smile played on his lips – yes, I can help you. Maybe this weekend? Or even monday after class? – she shrieked like she was thrilled with the idea.

\- Awesome! Thank you so much – she exclaimed, british accent still on display – but, actually, this weekend is gonna be impossible for me. I've already got so much to do... Look, I know I'm dumping this thing on you out of the blue but can we meet maybe today after class? I just really want to understand this subject once and for all. Unless you have something else to do? – she asked, leaving the question hanging and putting on her best puppy dog eyed face. The guy looked reluctant enough that she thought he was going to turn her down; to tell her that he couldn't stay after classes that afternoon, but after what looked like an internal debate, he agreed to meet that day.

They made it to the lab and sat together for the class, but the conversation between them wasn't as fluent as she'd hoped. She decided to let it slide for now and cut herself some slack since she had already managed to arrange a meeting with him after lunch hours. Whatever information she could get on Leia, she would have to get it then, so no sense pestering him about it now and taking the risk of him being annoyed by her and her 'curiosity'.

When the lab hour ended, they waved goodbye to each other and agreed on a spot to meet after lunch in one of the garden areas of the university. Annabeth then focused on the rest of her classes, making sure to talk to some specific students about their recently lost friend.

When the time came after her last class and before lunch time, she headed to Dr. Sanders office, surprised she didn't have to wait in line this time to enter. The hall was empty and so she proceeded to knock on his door. She was about to open it when suddenly the door opened from the inside and she bumped into someone she did not expect to see coming out of the office.

\- Keoki! What are you doing here? – she asked, surprised. Her heart had skipped a bit or two and she felt like a deer caught on headlights. Never the less, she didn't let her surprise show too much; there was no reason she shouldn't be there, so no problem running into her target.

\- Getting counsel – he answered. Unlike the other times they spoke, Keoki had a somber aura about him. He almost looked embarrassed to get caught leaving a shrink's office. He bypassed her and began to walk away.

\- We're still on for this afternoon? – she called after him.

\- Of course... See you there – he said, referring to the spot they had already chosen for the meeting, and then disappeared around the corner. Annabeth then turned to the office and closed the door behind her.  
\- So... Any progress? – Danny asked, signaling to the door and, with that, signaling the person who had just left the office. Again, like the last time she was there, Danny took off his glasses and started massaging his eyes. Annabeth, on the other hand, switched from british to plain old american accent.

\- We're meeting this afternoon. I plan on getting some more personal information on Leia. I figure I have to be pretty convincing into making him talk to me about his relationship with her. We can't afford to wait until monday. The week between the murders is almost up, if we don't find at least a suspect soon... – the rest of the sentence was left unsaid; they both knew what could happen if more time passed without results – what about your conversation with him? Anything useful? What was he in here about?

\- Well, he doesn't exactly seem suspicious to me. As far as I can tell he's just a boy who recently lost a friend. He wouldn't talk much about her. Mostly just asked me how can one move on after losing someone you care about. Given the way he talked about it, it would seem he and the girl were more than just friends. I don't know... There was just something deep in the way he talked; but who am I to know? It's not like I'm a shrink or anything – Danny explained.

\- I didn't know they could be a couple. By the way he talked about her yesterday at the memorial, it didn't seem like it but I guess I'll have to find out for sure this afternoon – then she pulled her phone out of her pocket – speaking of which, I better tell Steve about the change in plans and to not come pick me up now.

\- Yeah, you better not forget. You know how he gets... – they both laughed remembering the last time someone had forgotten to tell Steve about a sudden change of plans and the aneurysm face that resulted from that. And it had only been something as trivial as changing the location of a team night out.  
\- Yeah... We know how he gets – she agreed and then sent the text.

 **That was it! I don't know why but I really really liked this chapter… Did you see what I did there in the end? About "knowing how Steve gets"? Sound familiar? Check on chapter 5… It's just some of the scary similarities between Steve and Annabeth, as Danny liked to call them xd**

 **Oh people! We're getting so close to the moment of truth that I just can't wait to write it. How will it happen? Even I'm not sure yet! Let's hope my muse can decide for one of the many possible scenarios in my head so that I can go on and write it… any guesses? I would love to see if one of them is close enough…**

 **Well… until next chapter then!**


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

 **First of all, I want to apologize for taking so much time to update. I've had the most complicated week and I didn't have time to sit down and finish the chapter that I had already started until today.**

 **As I've said before, we're getting closer to the main event of this story and it's getting a bit harder for me to get it out right, but I'll do my best.**

 **Until that moment comes, here's chapter 9! Enjoy!**

The place wasn't too crowded and she chose to sit near a tree that provided enough shade so the inclement sun of Hawaii wouldn't be too much of a bother while reading the pages of the chemistry book she was currently holding in her hands.

From the spot she had chosen, she had a perfect vision of the main entrance to the building and so she could see every student that walked in and out of the building.

After texting Steve letting him know he didn't have to pick her up right after classes because she was going to meet with Keoki later that day, she had strolled by the cafeteria to get something quick to eat. That morning, before leaving the house, she hadn't been planning on staying after lunch hours so she had to improvise once her stomach had started protesting by the lack of food at the time.

Now, stomach satisfied and some time to spare, she was going through the pages of chapter nine from the textbook to try and at least pretend that she understood even a fraction of what Keoki would be explaining soon. Speaking of whom, Annabeth saw Keoki heading out of the building and walking in the general direction they had agreed on meeting. When she was sure she could catch his eyes, she waved and motioned for him to come closer.

\- Hey! Howzit? – she asked cheerfully.

\- Hi… speaking like a local already? – he asked, amused by how the common Hawaiian greeting sounded like with her accent.

\- Wherever you go, do as you see, right? – she replied.

\- I guess… - he sat down next to er and signaled to the book on her lap – any progress with the subject? – he asked.

\- Only progress I've made so far is opening the book – she said, somewhat apologetically.

\- Well, that's the only way to start – he conceded and then they both dove into the subject.

They were at least forty-five minutes into the study session when Annabeth decided to get bolder ad get serious on her job of getting information; it was time to narrow down the list of suspects from absolutely every and anybody on the island, to someone with a real motive or opportunity to do it.

\- I heard that the girl's boyfriend is having a really hard time coping. You know, the girl who got killed… Leia – she made sure to study his reaction in case she needed to back down a bit or if it was okay to keep digging into the matter like that.

\- She didn't have a boyfriend – he stated and she had a hard time deciding if his tone of voice sounded mad or, actually, disinterested.

\- Really? I must have misunderstood then.

\- People like to talk about what they don't know. Making stuff up to give the impression of having information that other people don't – he explained.

\- Did you know her well? – Annabeth kept pressing. He took a few seconds to ask, deciding then to stop looking at the chemistry book and fixing his eyes up front.

\- Not much but I can tell you she was sweet, smart and pretty – he described, using a tone of voice that suggested he actually did know her well, despite the words leaving his mouth. Annabeth didn't quite know how to catalogue his answer.

\- Do you know if she had problems with anyone? Why would someone want to do this to her? – she continued to ask. Keoki looked at her.

\- Geez! You're starting to sound like the cops now – he said it laughing, as if it was a joke but she took that as her cue to back down a bit and change her tactics – why are you so interested in her anyway?

\- I don't know… it's just... – suddenly an idea popped into her mind and although she didn't like it, she knew it could be effective to get him to open up more about Leia – I lost someone really close to me some time ago. He was young too and they never caught who did it so, hearing about the students getting killed here made me curious because I still don't understand why someone can be so cruel as to end such a young life, and I want to understand… I've always wanted to understand… – her tone had gone down a notch and her expression had become solemn. She may have been using her own story to explain her interest in Leia's murder, but the emotion behind those last words were every but as true as the sun coming out every morning. She could see that her idea and her words had worked because Keoki's expression turned soft and he let out a long sight, as if he had deflated from his resolve not to share what he knew.

\- I lost someone too – definitely not the information she had been expecting. Her surprise showed on her face and so, he elaborated – last year my girlfriend went on a weekend trip and she died in a car crash. She… she told me she was going away with her family but she actually went with another guy, some idiot from Chicago. They both died and I guess I never really knew if she was actually cheating on me or not – to say that the mood of the conversation had turned depressing was an understatement.

\- I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you remember that – she apologized.

\- I remember it every day – he stated. They both went quiet for a while, each of them looking at a different direction. It was after almost a full minute that he spoke again – you look like her, you know that? Sound like her too – Annabeth frowned.

\- What do you mean? – she asked.

\- You and my girlfriend. You look a lot alike and you speak like her. Same accent. We're in Hawaii, there's not a lot of people who speak with your accent, unless they're tourists – Annabeth wasn't sure if what she was hearing was a compliment or an accusation, but her mind had started working on a thought that had suddenly struck her. Something about what he was saying screamed the word "connection" to her but, connection to what? Between who?

\- Amm I… - she started saying but was interrupted when her phone began to ring. The caller ID showed that it was Danny and a picture of his face appeared on the screen. Her phone had been placed right in front of them on the grass and the conversation between her and Keoki died down immediately. She picked up the phone and slid the answer button – I'm sorry, I have to take this – she said before getting up from the floor and walking a few paces away from the spot she had been previously sitting on. What she missed was Keoki's angry glare when he recognized the guy's picture: Dr. Sanders.

 **Not the best of cliffhangers but it was the best I could do. I needed to end this chapter here because starting from now is when things begin to get interesting. Care to guess what's gonna happen next? Some answers about the case will be revealed but that's all I'm gonna say for now. I'm gonna start writing the next chapter now but won't be able to finish it until tonight. I will do everything in my power to finish it after work and posting it right away… As always, reviews motivate me to post faster so feel free to leave a review letting me know what you think of this chapter and what you think it's gonna happen next!**

 **Until next chapter then!**


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

 **Thank God I have my muse back! I managed to write two chapters today… Granted, they're not very long but they are important to introduce the bigger picture of the story; a bigger picture that will begin next chapter (I promise!)**

 **For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

Chin stared at the notepad resting on his desk trying to decide if his theory was really as crazy as it looked like.

He had been going through every bit of information, not matter how small or inconspicuous it was, and he had managed to make a connection between the victims. At least, that's what he hoped for.

He reviewed the information once more, made the calculations, searched for other possibilities but, the more he did, the more he convinced himself that he had actually cracked the case so, with as much confidence as his handwritten notes could give him, he gathered all the facts into a pen drive and walked out of his office. He knocked on one of the windows of Kono's office and then signaled to Steve to join them. Once they were gathered around the smart table, he plugged in the pen and proceeded to explain.

\- I think I found something but I'm not sure if it's actually possible.

\- What is it cuz? – asked Kono.

\- For now it's just conjectures held together by a thin line, but I think we might be into something – he opened a series of files – here, let me explain. So I went with Lori's suggestion about finding out if anything like this has ever happened before. I went back five years and some reports came back with cases of death of students by accidents, drunk driving or overdoses. Nothing came back red flagged because none of those deaths were as violent as the ones happening now. But one case actually stood out because of one name – Chin picked an incident report that showed the image of a car crash and two young faces on the side of the text – last year Angelica Brown and Kevin Foster died in a car accident while driving out of Honolulu. Look at the date stamp on the report.

\- That's the same week of our first murder. Charlie Robins – Steve said out loud.

\- Okay, but the timing might be a coincidence – Kono added – you said that the report red flagged because of a name?

\- Yes – he then proceeded to bring out the girl's personal file – look who was Angelica's boyfriend at the time – a name was highlighted on the screen and both Steve and Kono stared at it in concentration: Keoki Aikasu.

\- Now, _that_ , is too much of a coincidence. That's the guy Annabeth's been trying to use as a source of information on the second victim's murder – said Steve while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

\- Exactly. Since he was cleared by HPD as a suspect, we've focused on treating him as a source of information. But if we actually think of him as a suspect, there are some interesting connections between the victims – Chin explained.

\- But we investigated him, cross-referencing him with the other two victims and there was no relation between them. Did you manage to find something new? – asked Kono, still not sure how everything fell into place.

\- You could say that... – Chin replied, dubiously – I noticed that the first coincidence, apart from Keoki's name, was the time of the first murder. Charlie was killed roughly around the same time that this accident took place. So it got me thinking, what if the connections we're looking for are between our murder victims and the car crash victims and not between each other? That's when the strange similarities began to pop out. For example: victim number one was originally from Chicago, he moved here when he was 12 so he spent half his life there. The boy from the car crash, Kevin Foster, was also from Chicago. Now, our second victim, Leia, she studied biology, just like Keoki but, also, just like Angelica. And, finally, the third murder victim played tennis on a regular basis in one of the island's clubs. Guess who else had a history of playing tennis? – Chin asked.

\- Kevin Foster – Kono supplied the answer.

\- Correct. I know these connections aren't much; that they could all be circumstantial, but I think there are way too many coincidences. If we look at it like this, each one of our murder victims had something in common with the car crash victims and that right there is the connection between them and Keoki Aikasu – Chin finished explaining his crazy theory and waited for either his boss or his cousin to agree or disagree with him.

\- Makes sense – Steve replied thoughfully.

\- It does? – Chin asked, still not entirely convinced with his own theory.

\- Yeah, I mean, the first murder took place right on the anniversary of the death of Keoki's girlfriend so that could be the thing that set him off into the killing spree. Lori said that the date of the first murder would be meaningful for the unsub somehow and that's why. Keoki must have had a chance encounter with Charlie and found out that he came from Chicago as well. Maybe he saw the guy reflected in the victim, maybe Kevin Foster had been his friend. After the first murder, he realized he needed more and so he found someone with a connection to his head girlfriend instead. And, just as the first two, the same happened with the third. Also, he fits the profile Lori gave us: male, young, charismatic. Annabeth said the guy was really helpful and nice.

\- Do you think we should bring him in? – Chin asked.

\- I believe this guy, for whatever misguided reason, is finding people remotely related to his girlfriend and that other boy and is killing them off to relief I don't even know what... Grieve? Pain? The timeframe between murders is almost up, I say we act now and dive into him with everything we've got.

\- So what do we do now? – Kono asked, having noticed something on the screen that caught her attention.

\- We'll bring him in – Steve stated and both he and Chin started making their way to their offices to get their stuff ready.

\- Emmm guys? – Kono called from the smart table where she had remained looking into the piece of information that had caught her attention. Chin noticed how her cousin's expression had turned serious.

\- What is it Kono? – he asked by the time both men made it back to the table.

\- Since all the connections between the victims and the car crash kids are so superficial and considering the week time frame is almost upon us... Should we be worried about this? – she asked, highlighting the part of Angelica's personal file that read she was originally from the United Kingdom – Keoki might connect Annabeth with his dead girlfriend and choose her as his next victim – Steve stared at the screen for the total amount of two heart beats before fishing out his phone from his pocket.

\- I'm calling Danny. Let him know who the perp is and that we're on our way. Annabeth was supposed to meet with this guy this afternoon.

With that, everyone sprung into action, running to their offices and picking up their gear. When Danny answered his call, Steve brought him up to speed.

\- Want me to break cover and get the guy now? – Danny asked through the open line.

\- Negative. Wait for us to arrive. Contact Annabeth and find out their exact location. Ask her to coax him into leaving the facilities with her and we'll get him then. I don't want this to go down inside college grounds in case we're wrong and we spook the real killer – Steve answered.

\- Babe, with everything Chin discovered, this has to be the real killer.

\- Yeah, but I want to play it safe. I don't want to risk any more kids.

\- Alright – Danny conceded, actually pleased that maybe for the first time in his life, his partner was doing things quietly and without the usual spray of bullets that seemed to constantly follow him around - I'll let Annabeth in on the plan – and, with that, everyone was off to do their tasks and, luckily, end this madness once and for all.

 **There you have it! Did you like it? I hope you did! I can't wait to hear your opinions and I definitely can't wait to start writing the next chapter. I PROMISE: things will get interesting on the next chapter… so you should prepare for some overdue action!**

 **Until next chapter then!**


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

 **I am proud to announce that Chapter 11 is here! My muse struck hard today and I just had to post this. I am super happy with how this chapter turned out and I think it came out exactly as I had pictured it in my mind. I really hope you enjoy it and something tells me that you will.**

 **I want to thank you for your amazing reviews, Aquababy58 and Stephanie, you always make so happy and to know that you two appreciate this story and have a good time reading it is just enough for me to want to keep writing stories of this world within the Hawaii 5.0 series that I created. You guys rock! This chapter goes especially to the two of you. I can't wait to hear your comments about it!**

 **Enjoy!**

\- Hey. What's up? – Annabeth asked at the same time she glanced back at Keoki to make sure he was still sitting where they had been studying and then turned around to hide her face from him so she could speak more freely. This call was unexpected; Danny hadn't mentioned making contact before, so if he was calling now, that meant he had or needed something for the case.

\- Anna – Danny began, and she could immediately notice some urgency in his voice – are you still with Keoki? Can you talk?

\- Yes – she said simply, waiting for him to elaborate some more.

\- Okay, listen to me. We might have found something to tie him to all the murders. Something about his dead girlfriend dying in a car crash. Right now he's our main suspect, actually pretty sure he's our killer – Annabeth glanced back to Keoki who was looking intently at her and she smiled, signaling her phone apologeticaly and asking with her hand if he could give her five more minutes with this call. He smiled back and so she turned again.

\- Okay – again, she resorted to simple words.

\- Where are you right now? – Danny asked.

\- I'm studying with a friend on the garden right outside the main entrance – she said, just in case Keoki might hear her.

\- The guys are on the way, but you need to get him to leave with you so we can take him outside, not here.

\- I'll do my best – she answered and then started to turn around, sure that the conversation was over now because Danny had relayed the instructions as to how to proceed from now. Even so, she still heard him say _'be careful'_ before lowering the phone from her ear. She didn't have time to end the call though.

The moment she turned around completely she found herself face to face with a very pissed off Keoki. She looked down at the uncomfortable pressure right in the middle of her stomach to notice that it wasn't just a pissed off Keoki, it was a very pissed off Keoki with a gun. She looked up at his face again and was taken aback by the amount of hatred she found in his eyes.

\- What the hell!? – she asked him, still not totally over her surprise of being ambushed like that.

\- You're gonna do the same thing she did to me!? – he asked in a yell. He was angry alright. Annabeth looked around to see if there were too many people around. She needed to disarm him bur first she needed to get the gun a bit away from her body. That meant a struggle, and a struggle with so many other students around them meant collateral damage.

\- Listen to me – she said urgently – I don't know what you're talking about. I swear... – but Keoki didn't let her finish. His resolve hardened and his eyes turned cold.

\- You do sound just like her – he said with a snarl and then fired the gun.

Pain exploded right in the middle of her stomach and she had to grunt from the unexpectedness of it all. She jerked back from the force of the impact with the bullet but Keoki didn't let her fall to the floor, making sure she stayed somewhat upright by grabbing the collar of her shirt and holding her in place. At the sound of the first gunshot, people had started screaming and running away, not even sure where the shot had come from. Some of them even bumped into Keoki but his gaze never wavered and he continued to speak, his words filled with venom and hate.

\- You flirt with me and end up taking calls from the freaking shrink!? – bang! another shot, again at her stomach. This time she had to whimper because the burning pain in her stomach reached a whole new level and her knees began to tremble and give in. Her phone had dropped from her hands the moment the first shot had been fired, but she remembered she never got to end the call and she hoped to God Danny hadn't end it either. When she finally sank to the floor because Keoki wasn't able to hold her weight any longer, she turned her head towards where the device had landed and called with as much strength as she could muster.

\- Danny – it came out as a whisper and she couldn't be entirely sure if he had heard her or not. Not That it really mattered because by the time he got to her, she would already be dead. Specially since Keoki was still looming over her accusing her of being every bit of a cheater as his girlfriend had been. Damn was this boy crazy!

When after a few seconds she felt again the muzzle of the gun pressed against her stomach, she knew she was dead. Another shot and she wouldn't even have the possibility of surviving. She tried with shaking hands to push the gun away from her body but Keoki's grip was firm.  
Her breaths were coming out ragged and she cranked her neck backwards trying to catch a glimpse at the building entrance, praying for Danny to come out running towards her.  
No such luck.

\- Hey! Hey! – Keoki yelled, managing to get her attention back. When she looked back at him, he went back into accusing her of having an affair with the shrink. She wanted so badly to tune him out but, instead, she did something she would regret later.

\- I... I guess I can't... can't blame her for cheating on you – she spat and that's when, with a fierce cry, the guy fired his gun again. This time she couldn't hold back the scream that tore from her lips, the pain of being shot repeatedly on the same place was making her see stars and the edges of her vision were turning grey. She was gasping for breath and her eyes were watering.

There was no one else around them by now; everyone had either gone away searching for cover inside the building or getting to the parking lot to start the engines of their cars and get as far from that place as possible. All Annabeth could hope for now was that Keoki wouldn't go after anyone else.

Somewhere to her far left she heard someone yelling and then Keoki's head snapped up to see that person getting closer. He got up from the floor where he had been kneeling almost on top of her and pointed the gun towards the newcomer. Annabeth inwardly groaned because it was just her luck that when she's glad no one else is around to get hurt, then someone had to appear and make Keoki jump up to act. She could only see him raising his gun but the three consecutive shots that rang didn't come from his weapon. Instead, his hands wavered in the air while he looked down at his chest before collapsing and hitting the floor with his back.  
Annabeth's mind was starting to wander because it didn't occur to her who might have been the shooter until the person was kneeling above her and she saw a mass of blond hair right in front of her eyes. His expression was shocked and worried but, beyond that, it was disbelief. Disbelief because even he could see what Annabeth already knew: that she wouldn't be coming out of this alive.

 **And BOOM! Did you expect that? Keoki turned out to be some psycho and now Annabeth is paying the price… will she get out of this alive? Will this have something to do with Steve finally telling her the truth? For now, let's see how Danny handles the situation, which I have to start writing about on the next chapter.**

 **I can't wait to see your reactions to this chapter. What do you think will happen next?**

 **Until next chapter then!**


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

 **I cannot believe how much I enjoyed writing this chapter today! I had a blast during the whole day and I'm really happy with the result. I hope I was able to convey all the emotions going through the characters, specially Danny since he's the one who has to deal with the outcome of the last episode…**

 **I can't wait to hear what you guys think about it!**

 **Enjoy!**

\- Where are you right now? – Danny asked.

\- I'm studying with a friend on the garden right outside the main entrance – he heard her say, clearly still in character.

\- The guys are on the way, but you need to get him to leave with you so we can take him outside, not here.

\- I'll do my best – she answered shortly.

\- Be careful – he added, not even sure if she was still on the line or not. Normally he would have complained by how much his phone hated him by not responding to his command of finishing the call; after all, he was still at war with technology itself, but today he was glad he could hear what was going down on the other side of the line. He had heard Annabeth's surprised expression of _'what the hell_ ' and, at first, he thought she might still be talking to him; but then he heard Keoki's voice and what he was saying made the hairs at the back of his head stand on end.

\- You're gonna do the same thing she did to me!? – what was he talking about?

\- Listen to me – came Annabeth's urgent voice and that was all it took to get him to stand up from his desk chair and start a light pace behind it – I don't know what you're talking about. I swear...

\- Annabeth! What's going on? – he asked with concern. He couldn't decide if interfering now would be wise or not, but what he heard next made him sprint into a run.

\- You do sound just like her – _Bang!_ He heard the shot and immediately fetched his gun from the top drawer of the desk. His office was located pretty far away from the main entrance, which is where Annabeth had said she was, and the closer he got, the more screams he heard coming from the outside. Specially since another shot had been fired. He couldn't pray enough that his legs moved faster because Annabeth, for as much as she was a badass formerly teenage spy, was still weaponless against a guy with a gun. Any number of things could go wrong and if she didn't get cover with enough time to put some distance between herself and the gun, he didn't even want to imagine what could happen.

He didn't bother to keep paying attention to the phone because he was pretty sure she must have dropped it; the voices sounded farther away and harder to hear since the first shot had been fired and so he just put it inside his pocket while he kept running. Getting closer to the main gate, he could see a wave of students running to take cover from what was currently happening outside and he really hoped none of them had gotten hurt. He couldn't help but notice that he was doing a lot of hoping and not enough doing to ensure the things he wanted, namely, finishing the shootout without anyone getting hurt or killed.

He should have known better.

The third shot rang the moment he stepped through the doors and he didn't even waste a second glancing around to pinpoint Annabeth's location because she and Keoki were the only ones left on the garden. What he saw though, made his blood freeze.

\- Hey! Five-0! Drop your weapon! – he saw the guy look up from where he was hovering above Annabeth and Danny's heart did a summersault because she was sprawled on the floor, barely moving. When Keoki stood up to face him, he gave him one last warning – I said drop it! – he yelled, but he had no other choice than to fire his own weapon when he saw Keoki aiming his gun at him. Three consecutive shots center mass and the guy was dead. He finished running all the way to him and kicked the gun away from the guy's limp hands, bending down and checking for a pulse. When he found none, he crawled the rest of the way to where Annabeth was laying and his heart stopped completely.

\- Anna – he said in a tight voice. What he saw in front of him made him dizzy and nauseated but he couldn't let panic take a hold of him now. There was a mess of blood on Annabeth's middle section and the rise and fall of her chest indicated that her breathing was irregular; the wheezing sound letting him know that she wasn't getting enough air and the small moans scaping her lips making it clear that she was in pain.

\- Danny – she said laboriously, bringing her own hands towards her stomach and covering them in blood.

\- Alright. Alright – he said urgently, trying, ineffectively, to calm himself while running his hands through his hair. He fished his phone out of his pocket where he had stored it away and managed to call 911. He didn't bother with identifying himself because just by looking at how distressed Annabeth seemed and the amount of blood seeping from the wound on her stomach, he knew they didn't have much time – I need an ambulance now. There's an officer down. GSW to the stomach. She's losing a lot of blood! – he gave the emergency operator the address to their location and then just dropped his phone on the floor without even ending the call. He needed to do something now to try and stop the bleeding; maybe buy the paramedics some time to get there. He ripped open his shirt, not caring that the buttons went flying in every direction and stayed wearing only his white t-shirt. He crushed the fabric into a ball and then pressed it down on her wound.

\- Argh! – Annabeth complained and he rushed his words to try and comfort her.

\- I know. I know. I'm sorry. I gotta stop the bleeding. I'm sorry – he said when he had to press down harder because blood continued to run around the edges of his shirt and his hands were starting to get tainted as well.

\- Danny... I... – she coughed with the effort of talking and a new wave of pain hit her with enough vengeance to make her scrunch her eyes shut in pain. When the agony from contracting her abdominal muscles due to the coughing subsided just a bit, she opened her eyes and focused on Danny again – Danny... I don't... Not now... I...

\- Shh, shh – he soothed – don't speak now, save your strength – but she shook her head, wanting to get whatever she was trying to say out.

\- Not now – she repeated and for the life of him, he couldn't understand what she wanted to say.

\- Listen, paramedics are on their way just hang on – Danny was starting to sweat under the stress of the situation and that combined with all the blood soaking through the shirt made his hands even more slippery. Even so, he felt Annabeth's hands weakly reaching for one of his own and so, keeping the pressure over the wound with his right hand, he clasped hers with his left one.

\- Steve... Tell Steve... – but she didn't get to finish. After a couple of coughs her eyelids grew too heavy and she lost consciousness.

\- No. Annabeth! Wake up! Tell Steve what, ah? Hey! – he let go of her limp hand and gently tapped her cheek but he didn't get any response – come on! Wake up! Wake up... – he could finally… _finally_ … hear sirens in the distance and he knew that help had arrived. The screeching of tires told him that the paramedics must be already on their way to them and, sure enough, he was soon instructed to step behind to let the pair do their job. He didn't want to. God he wanted to stay right by her side, but he knew he'd only be getting in the way. He absentmindedly wiped his hands on his white t-shirt, leaving a trail of blood on it, but he didn't even notice; his eyes totally focused on how the paramedics worked on keeping his friend alive.

He saw them start an IV with fluids on her left arm and place an oxygen mask over her face. Even then, one of the paramedics was complaining about the low levels of oxygen. He kept saying that if her levels didn't come up, then they would have to intubate her on site. Danny just knew that all that talk was scaring the shit out of him. It wasn't even five minutes and the guys had strapped Annabeth to a portable stretcher to wheel her towards the ambulance.

\- Are you coming with us? – one of the paramedics asked him hurriedly. He eyed the interior of the ambulance where the other paramedic continued to keep a tab on her vitals readings and then glanced back at Keoki's dead body a few paces away. He knew he should let them leave and stay behind to protect the scene, especially since there wasn't any other law enforcement officer nearby but as the paramedic shouted the question again, making it clear that they needed to leave now, he made a decision.

\- Give me one sec – and he ran back towards the dead body, picking up the fallen weapon and then running to climb into the back of the ambulance. Given the circumstances, he was fine with leaving a dead body in the middle of college grounds but he couldn't leave a gun freely waiting for someone else to pick it up. He knew that HPD wouldn't be far behind and they could handle the scene; not to mention 5.0, who had been already on their way. For being the first time Steve wanted to play something by the book and without causing as much ruckus as he was used to, he was in for a surprise.

Speaking of his partner, he better call him now to let him know what had happened. Danny couldn't help thinking that it would be better if the team headed for the hospital instead of the crime scene. There was nothing much they could do there and, right now, he feared even the ambulance wouldn't get to the hospital in time.

 **Pff! Was this a stressful chapter to write! I couldn't help but feel for Danny… the poor guy had to handle everything on his own… and what was Annabeth trying to say to him? What did she want him to tell Steve?**

 **I hope you liked the fact that this chapter was a bit longer than the previous two and I can assure you that next chapter will be even longer. I've already started writing it and it's coming along real nice… I can't wait to post it, which should be sometime tomorrow afternoon.**

 **So… any comments? Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?**


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

 **Two chapters in two days? Who else is happy about that?**

 **A little note before you read the chapter: I have absolutely no medical knowledge so whatever I describe in this chapter is totally made up. I just needed facts so my story could make even a bit of sense; I hope my explanations aren't too crazy but, if so, try to go with it for the sake of the story!**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews and I'm really glad you enjoyed all the action and drama of last chapter. I can only hope you enjoy this one as well.**

Steve had known something went wrong with the operation the moment he heard the HPD alert about shots being fired inside a University. What he could never have imagined was the extent of the damage.

Fortunately no civilian had been injured, apart from Keoki Aikasu who he later found out had been reduced by his partner, but considering the guy was a psychotic serial killer, he decided not to dwell too much on that; focusing instead on the road in front of him that was currently guiding him to the hospital. When his partner had called him to let him know what had happened and where they were going, Steve had been rationally concerned. Hearing that someone got shot on the job wasn't uncommon and he had thought that maybe Annabeth had gotten hit on a shoulder or a leg. Something simple like that. But when Danny's tone of voice turned from worried to defeated saying that _'it was bad'_ , extreme fear had gripped him from the inside and it refused to let go until he knew that his sister was alive. That she would be coming out of this okay.

Unfortunately, when he saw his partner sitting on a chair on the waiting area of the emergency room, his hopes dashed down in a pour.

\- Danny! – there was blood, a lot of blood, covering the bottom half of his shirt and although he had obviously tried to wash the blood away from his hands, there were still pink splotches here and there. His face was set and his eyes looked haunted.

\- Steve! – Danny said, getting up from his position and both partners embraced in a quick but tight hug.

\- Are you okay? Were you hit? – Steve asked in concern, fearing that some of the blood covering his friend might have been actually his.

\- No, I'm fine.

\- Brah! – Chin and Kono were the next ones to burst through the doors and join them on the waiting room – what happened.

\- Are you okay? – Kono asked.

\- YES! I'm fine! – Danny answered agitatedly, rubbing his hands together. Instantly noticing his own outburst, he quickly apologized – sorry. I'm sorry. I'm okay, I didn't get hit. It was just her.

\- What happened? – Steve asked – I thought we were gonna wait to take him outside.

\- I don't know what happened, alright? One second we were talking on the phone and the next I hear gunshots being fired. The guy was screaming at her; I'm not even sure what it was all about, I just ran as fast as I could but...

\- But what? – Chin prompted and Danny looked up to see three set of eyes fixed on him.

\- There were three shots before I managed to reach them. I don't even know how many she actually took but she was losing too much blood and way too fast – Danny finished, still rubbing his hands and passing them through his hair every few minutes.

\- I need to talk to the doctor – Steve stated, walking over to the reception desk intent on using every bit of intimidation he could to get what he wanted.

\- Steve wait! – Kono tried to reason with him but there was no stopping him now. They could all hear clearly his demands even if they weren't standing mere footsteps away.

\- The girl that was just brought in with a gunshot wound? I need to talk to the doctor in charge now – the nurse behind the desk, used to distressed family members and friends, answered in a calm voice.

\- I'm sorry sir, I'm sure she's being treated right now but you can't talk to the doctor now. He will come out and answer your questions as soon as he can.

\- No, you don't understand. I need to talk to him now! I have to let him know something about her. I'm sure she's gonna need a transfusion but her blood type is rare and she has history of rejecting blood even if it's her same blood type – the rest of the gang looked curiously at him after hearing this troubling news, but even more so at the nurse who didn't seem to understand the severity of the situation.

\- This facility is equipped to handle this kind of incidences so...

\- Damn it! Would you just fetch the doctor!? – Steve yelled and Danny had to put a hand on his shoulder to warn him to bring it down a notch.

\- Excuse me? – came a deep voice from somewhere to their left. There was a middle age man in a white coat walking towards them – are you here for the GSW patient? Annabeth? – Steve immediately forgot about the nurse and went to meet him half way with the rest of his team following behind.

\- Yes! I'm Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett with the Five-0 task force. How is she?

\- She's not well – the man responded gravelly and cutting right to the chase – she almost bled out on the field and we've barely managed to keep her alive by pumping fluids into her. What was that you were saying about her blood? Because we've already tried to administer a first bag of her same blood type and she's not taking it very well – Steve sighed and tried to remember everything the doctor on the base had explained when Annabeth had started rejecting the blood of another sailor that had volunteered to donate.

\- She underwent some major surgery about five years ago and I and another guy in my unit were her same blood type. We both donated our blood but the only one she rejected was his. I don't understand why exactly, it has something to do with genetics but I didn't really understand the specifics of it all – he finished.

\- I don't get it – said Danny – does this mean she can't get a transfusion from anyone? Is she going to die then? – the doctor lifted his hands as if to stop him from continuing down that path.

\- Let's not go there just yet – he stated and then turned to Steve – if what you're saying is correct and genetics are involved, then yes, the situation is worse. She will react against any blood even if it's the same type unless it shares a series of genetic common threads with hers. Normally I would ask a family member to be tested but, as I understand from the information given to us when you brought her in, that she doesn't have any family. Now – he hurried to add when he saw the commander about to interrupt – the transfusion is still possible if we find a donor that shares even some of the similarities within their DNA. It's a long shot and it will take a lot of time to test every available blood in search of those common links and I'm not sure if she has that kind of time.

\- She can take my blood. Her body's accepted it before – Steve said determined.

\- Please understand that just because it happened once, it doesn't mean it will work again. For all we know, her accepting your blood could have been a medical coincidence. I agree though, that if she once accepted it then you will be the most likely candidate to get tested.

\- Let's do it then. You don't have to test it – he was getting impatient.

\- I'm sorry but we need to perform the DNA test in search of those common links before I can authorize the operation. It's standard procedure.

\- But we're gonna waste too much time and you said it yourself, she doesn't have much! – Steve was beginning to feel like a deer caught on headlights, like a scared animal trapped into a corner. He knew what was going to happen now and he needed to gather his wits about it. Right now, all that mattered was saving Annabeth's life; he could deal with the aftermath of his secret later. Taking a huge breath and releasing it loudly while running a hand up and down his face, he said as calmly as he could – there's no need to test my blood. I know we share all the genetic links you need – the doctor stared back at him in confusion.

\- What are you talking about Steve? – asked Chin from behind him.

\- My DNA has already been compared to hers and it's the same. Well, not the same, _same_ – he added to further explain himself – but almost the same... – he then looked back at his team because he felt like he should confess the truth to them – she's my sister – everyone stayed silent for a minute trying to process what he had just said and, as always, Danny was the first one to get out of his stupor and voice his thoughts.

\- What? – he asked, not entirely sure that what he was hearing was right – are you serious right now?

\- Commander, I understand you want to do everything in your power to help save your friend but if you're saying that to get me to give the go ahead on the procedure, you could be further endangering the girl's life – Steve then turned to him with fire and determination in his face.

\- I wouldn't be making this up if it meant putting her at risk. I'm telling you something I hadn't told anyone before because we don't have more time. She's not just my friend – he spat – she's my sister and my blood matches hers. It's worked before and it'll work now – seeing the intensity and sincerity behind those words, the doctor nodded.

\- This changes things. Alright; if you're willing then come with me, we'll get you ready to donate – the man turned around and started to walk away. Steve turned to look at his team, noticing the shock and surprise evident in their eyes. He unstrapped his vest and handed it to his partner.

\- Whoa, whoa! Are we not gonna talk about what just happened here? – Danny asked, clearly frustrated by the fact that he couldn't get an answer to the millions of questions running through his head right away.

\- There's no time now – Steve said, already backing away from them – I promise I'll explain everything later.

\- Yeah, you better! – Danny yelled after Steve had crossed the doors in search of the doctor. He glanced at the cousins and asked – did either of you know that?

\- How are we going to know something like this? – said Kono – I mean, we've joked about it before, given how alike they actually are, but we never really considered it might be true.

\- It's just too bizarre. If they're actually related... She's too young – commented Chin with a pensive look.

\- I swear that man is going to be the death of me. One day he's gonna give me a heart attack with the amount of surprises surrounding his life! – Chin and Kono knew there was no real heat behind those words, it was just Danny's way to cope with things. If they looked at him closely, they could see that the man was a mess: all jumpy, covered in blood and full of anxiety.

\- Brah, why don't you head home and change? Freshen up? This thing's gonna last for a while – Danny actually considered rejecting the idea but one more look at his clothes and he knew he'd do it. He just couldn't keep wearing Annabeth's blood because it was starting to feel too heavy on him. With a deflated sigh he agreed, stating that he wouldn't be away for more than half an hour and that he would be right back to yell at his partner demanding some answers.

\- I'm sure you will – Kono said while Chin gave him the keys to his car since the camaro was still at the university's parking lot.

\- Thanks – Danny said greatfully and then headed towards the exit. Chin and Kono just sat down and prepared to endure what they were sure would be a very long wait.

 **Well the first part of the confession has happened! Now the team knows the truth. Did you like the chapter? I hope you did because I had a really good time writing it. I've already started on chapter 14, which I hope to be able to post sometime tomorrow. Maybe my muse will keep ignited!**

 **Until next chapter then!**


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

 **Hello there my dear readers! It has come to my attention that the automated e-mails that fanfiction sends whenever a story you're following is updated haven't been functioning very well, so I apologize if you haven't found out exactly when the chapters have been updated. I know it's not my fault but I just wanted to let you know. Since we don't know when this problem will be fixed, you should stay tuned to find out when I post the next chapter!**

 **That being said, I hope you guys have liked the previous couple of chapters and I can only hope you find this one as interesting as well! I've already started working on chapter 15 so you should be expecting it soon enough… in the mean time… Enjoy!**

Danny arrived back at the hospital with some time to spare before his partner was even finished giving away the necessary blood so the doctor could operate on Annabeth. He had decided to stop for some coffee on his way back and when he saw the cousins deep in conversation exactly where he had left them, he handed each one a steaming cup, double shot and extra-large. It was still early in the day, but he had a feeling they would need the caffeine just as well. He knew for a fact that he did.

\- Any word? – he asked when he sat down.

\- Not yet brah – Kono answered, pleased to see that he had changed his clothes and freshened up a bit. Now he resembled more the confident loud detective that he was; not that he was feeling any confidence right now on the inside. He let out a long and heavy sigh and rested his elbows on his knees while holding the cup with both hands, trying to get some of the warmth to transfer to him because even in the hot afternoon of Hawaii, there was still a chill running down his body – Danny, she's gonna be okay. We know she's tough. She's been shot before – Kono tried to reassure him, putting a hand on his shoulder for support.

\- I know she's tough but you didn't see her there Kono. She looked like she knew that she wasn't going to make it. I think... I think she might have been trying to say goodbye – Danny's expression was solemn and his eyes sad.

\- Who knows what might have been going through her head at the time – Chin intervened after some time. They all had noticed that, since learning exactly what had happened to Annabeth he had gone uncharacteristically quiet, and he wasn't someone who actually talked a lot. They knew this reminded him of Malia's death.

\- She better survive this – Danny stated then heatedly – she wanted me to say something to Steve but she didn't get the chance to tell me. I swear to God if I have to live everyday for the rest of my life wondering what it was and beating myself up about not being able to get the messagge across... – the threat hung in midair because he wasn't even sure what he would do if such a scenario came to happen. Also, he decided not to continue down that train of thought because it meant admitting the possibility that she might not come back from this alive.

Speaking of his partner, Steve came walking out of the doors to the emergency rooms holding his left arm up and bending it at the elbow. He was done donating as much as it was safe for him to do so and so he joined his friends on the waiting room.

\- You're looking a little grey around the edges boss – Kono noticed when he sat down next to Chin.

\- Thanks – he said, as if she had payed him a compliment and rested the back of his head against the wall – they're operating now. The doctor said she had three entrance wounds on her stomach and no exit wound. He expects some damage to her internal organs but says that as long as she doesn't reject the blood, they should have enough time to repair it – he finished.

\- So she did take all three hits – Danny said, angry with himself for not having reached her sooner – Damn it! – he cursed, standing up from his chair and starting to pace in front of them, throwing his now empty coffee away – some backup I am!

\- Danny... – someone started to say but he didn't let them finish.

\- No. No. Don't tell me it's not my fault. We were undercover, we were both out in the field and I didn't have her back. I couldn't even get to her in time. Three shots? Gosh! How do you even come back from that? – if his voice broke at the end of that sentence, no one said anything. Steve suddenly got up from his chair and starting walking towards the exit – hey! Where the hell are you going? – Danny asked after him.

\- Outside – he replied without looking at them. The other three members of the team stared at the spot he had disappeared to and something about his posture worried them. His shoulders were hunched and his pace lacked the usual confidence that only a Navy SEAL could carry around.

\- Someone should go talk to him.

\- If he just walked out of here it means he doesn't want to talk – the blond detective responded. He wasn't exactly sure why he was feeling angry at his partner. Could it really be that it bothered him that much the fact that Steve and Annabeth had never told him the truth about their relationship? They had been partners for almost three years now. More importantly, they had been good friends ever since. Danny was even willing to admit that Steve might have been the best friend he's had but, even after everything they had gone through, as friends and as a team, they still didn't trust him enough to tell him something like that? How were they supposed to have each other's back if they didn't trust each other completely? Not that he was much of a backup, he thought, considering what had went down today.

\- Danny... – Kono's tone was something between sympathetic and reprimanding. The look she sent him was no better either.

\- Fine... I'll go – he agreed with a sigh and then went out to search for Steve.

He found him sitting on a bench just outside the hospital with his elbows on his knees and his head between his hands. Whatever anger Danny had been feeling died down at the sight of his partner in such a vulnerable state. He never, ever, let his distress or emotions show this much in a public place. Taking a huge breath, he walked over to him. He sat down beside him without saying anything for a while, just letting him know that he was here now, showing support. Danny knew it had been the right thing to do when Steve leaned slightly towards him and their shoulders bumped together, letting him know he appreciated the support. After a couple of seconds, Steve himself was the one to break the silence.

\- She doesn't know – he stated and then turned his head to look at his friend's reaction.

\- Know what? – Danny asked, wanting to make sure he was actually understanding what Steve was saying.

\- She doesn't know who I am. Actually, she doesn't know who she really is – he clarified. Danny had not been expecting that.

\- And who is she exactly? You know, I was just getting used to the idea that she was this freaking amazing teen spy that crushed into our lives by accident. Just, how on earth can she be your sister? How long have you known about it? Does Mary know? Did your father or your mother had a fling with someone else? And I'm sorry for asking that but I just don't understand how it can be possible – Steve let out a timid smile because it was just so much like his partner to ask that many questions in a row.

\- No, the DNA test shows that we share the same parents. My dad was also hers and Doris is her mother too.

\- But – Danny did the calculations in his mind.

\- Yeah – Steve confirmed even before he could say what he had suddenly understood – that means she must have been pregnant when she faked her death and left.

\- Well... That's messed up – that statement janked a laugh out of Steve.

\- And it gets worse. So Annabeth doesn't know; but the thing is, I think Doris doesn't realize who she is either.

\- Wait a minute. You haven't told her? Ask her about it? – Danny asked, getting more and more confused by the second. Steve just stared at him.

\- No one knew but me – he said gravely, trying to make him understand how important an information like that was to him and, maybe, how much of a toll it had taken on him carrying that around over the years alone.

\- And how did you find out? – Danny decided to let Steve tell him the whole story from the beginning without as many interruptions as he was used to because so many different questions just managed to derail the conversation, and the thing was hard enough to understand as it was. Steve told him about the rescue mission right from the beginning and until the moment he and Annabeth parted ways.

\- So I left and with time things just got messier and messier in my life until my sole focus was finding the Hesse brothers and then my dad getting killed – Steve said – I never thought I would see her again.

\- So that's why you freaked out that much when we bumped into her at that bar – Danny said.

\- I did not freak out – he tried to save some of his dignity but his partner wasn't buying it. Or maybe he had learned to know him so well even after only a couple of months working together.

\- Babe... You did – the detective stated with certainty.

\- Fine... I did – Steve conceded.

\- Why haven't you told her? Why insist on keeping this a secret? – he took his time to reply, knowing what the answer was but not exactly knowing how to express it out loud.

\- I didn't want her to freak out and leave and... – surprisingly, his voice broke but Danny gave his shoulder a squeeze – and I didn't want her to know that I left her maybe when she needed me the most. When I rescued her on that mission I knew she was in a bad place, not only physically but especially emotionally; she told me that apart from Alex, she didn't have anyone else. She had just lost him and gotten through literally hell and I just left because I couldn't handle the truth at the moment. How was I supposed to just accept that I had a sister that young? If the doctor would have told me she was my half-sister or something, I could've understood better; I could have even accepted that my father, on his grief, found consolation in another woman. But having the same parents, both of them... Danny you have to understand, my mother was supposed to be dead. I knew the years didn't add up and I couldn't handle that. There must have been a mistake because my mother was dead. She was dead...

\- Except she wasn't – added Danny, his heart aching for the pain he could see latched inside his partner's eyes.

\- Except she wasn't... – Steve repeated then he looked up with pleading eyes – Danny I just didn't know what to do, you have to understand that.

\- Hey, I'm not judging you alright? I can't really imagine the level of confusion you must have had. For a control freak like you to have something as important as your mother's death questioned and the sudden appearance of a long lost relative, it was too much to handle.

\- But I still left her. Even when I had the proof, the DNA test in my hands, I suppose I was in denial or something and I left her to fend for herself after everything she had gone through.

\- Okay, I can see why that bothers you. But you've done right by her ever since. You took her in, you gave her a job, you gave her a family. She's said it before, she was in a dark place before coming to Hawaii.

\- And I still never told her. I'm not even sure I would've ever told her – Steve said.

\- Steve, you gotta tell her now. You can't keep this a secret anymore – Danny insisted.

\- I know, I know. I'll tell her when she wakes up. If... She wakes up. God Danny what if she doesn't make it? – he asked, looking devastated at his friend.

\- Hey! Since when did you become the pessimistic one? That is my job, okay? And even I know we shouldn't be thinking like that. She's a badass and she'll pull through – for a moment there, Danny wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure his partner or himself. After a couple of minutes of silence, Steve spoke up again.

\- I'm sorry I didn't tell you Danny.

\- It's okay. I understand now – and he did, because as much as he found the situation more than a little bizarre, he wasn't sure if he would have done things any other way if the roles were reversed – for now let's just focus on her getting out of this alive. Then we'll worry about how you'll tell her.

They way Danny used the word ' _we_ ' wasn't missed by Steve and right now he couldn't feel more grateful about having such a good friend. He felt the support coming in waves from him and he hoped that maybe someday he would be able to show him as much comfort as he was providing him now.

 **Well… that was an emotional chapter to write. I think a good bromance moment between Danny and Steve was long overdue and so this chapter was born. I hope it wasn't too cheesy for your taste or that the characters didn't seem too OC. I just imagine how unsettling this all must be for Steve.**

 **Now… next chapter is already in the making but I'm trying to decide if I want Annabeth waking up already or not just yet! Muahahaha. What do you think? Remember to leave a review!**

 **Until then!**


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

 **Well people… I'm sorry it took me so long to post this chapter but I spent a lot of time working on it because I just wanted it to be perfect. I wanted it to come out exactly the way I pictured it in my mind and I have to say: I'm totally happy with the result! I can only hope you guys like this chapter and I can't wait to see what you think about it. I had the most fun writing this chapter and I really hope you do so as well while reading it. I also hope the unusually long chapter makes you all very happy!**

 **PLEASE let me know what you think about it in a review!**

The team had to wait a total of 14 hours to finally receive the news that Annabeth had made it through surgery and was now in the ICU listed as stable but critical. As much as the explanation the doctor had given them (getting into detail about the procedure, the blood transfusion and the prognosis) had scared them enough to recognize they could still lose her, the mere thought of her at least surviving this first phase brought a much needed respite for the sleep deprived party of Five-0 members. After being granted just a couple of minutes to see her though, they were asked to leave the hospital in favor of their friend's rest and their own well being.

Steve though, never left the place. How could he when losing his sister was still a very real possibility? The doctor had said that the surgery had gone as well as could be expected, but considering the extenuating circumstances of her tendency to reject blood transfusions and the nature of her wounds, the doctor had also explained that further complications like organ failure weren't yet out of the equation; a very scary equation. And that's why everyone understood Steve's need to be present at all times; not just the hospital personnel, but his team mates as well.

During the God forsaken 14 hours of endless waiting, Steve had told the rest of his team the story behind the recently revealed truth about his relationship with Annabeth and he was more than relieved when all he got in return were supportive words and snarky remarks that were meant to lighten up the mood dominating the scene.

\- That sure explains a lot boss! – Kono had joked.

\- It seems that the fearless gene does run in the McGarrett family – Chin had added, and Steve was grateful they were taking things so easily. He knew Annabeth wouldn't, though, and that's why even though things had calmed down and improved since the first day she had been brought in, the worry never left Steve's mind; not only for her recovery, but for the moment she would wake up and he would have to confess her the truth.

And it had been three days, twelve hours and forty-five seconds when Annabeth had finally decided to rejoin the land of the living.

The first time she woken up hadn't been for more than a minute and she hadn't been able to answer any of Danny's questions because she had immediately gone back to sleep. Steve had been in the bathroom at that exact moment and had missed her first waking moment, which elicited another wave of arguments as to why he should never leave the room; arguments that Danny had been all too willing to counterattack from the moment Annabeth had been stable enough to get transferred to a private room.

The second time she woke up, that same night, Steve had been right by her side to hold her hand and tell her that everything was going to be okay since she kept glancing around with a confused gaze plastered on her face. This time, she managed to stay awake long enough for the doctor to enter the room; all the man could do though was check her readings and relay some instructions to the nurse because, again, Annabeth had fallen asleep.

The doctor had explained to a very concerned Steve that given the proportion of the surgery she had been subjected to, it wasn't at all uncommon that she still wasn't strong enough to remain awake for more than a few minutes.

\- Her readings are good – the doctor had assured him – when the rest of the effects from the anesthesia wear off, she'll be able to wake up completely.

They had to wait another full day before that happened; only now, by the third time Annabeth woke up, there was no one else in the room with her except for the nurse who was quietly preparing the stuff she needed to change her bandages.

Contrary to what people normally believed, Annabeth didn't hate hospitals because of the smell, the white walls, the silence or the cold. She actually found those things soothing, since waking up in that environment meant that whatever torture or mission she had been enduring before, was finally over. Waking up in a hospital meant, for her, the comfort that she was being taken care of.

So, no; that wasn't the reason she hated hospitals. She hated them because, usually, whenever she woke up in one, it meant someone else had gotten hurt too and finding out if that person had survived or not, or how gravelly injured he or she was made the whole hospital experience an avoidable thing all together. Being the patient wasn't the problem, that was the easy part. Being the waiting friend… now _that_ was hard.

Before her life in Hawaii, the person she had constantly been worrying about whenever she woke up in a hospital had been Alex; making it a few dozen times that they both had ended injured or almost killed on the job. Now, it was whoever might have been partnered up with her to do the job, no matter if it was an undercover operation or a simple raid.

Normally though, there was always a member of the team by her side, waiting for her to wake up and tell her if anyone else had been hurt, but when she looked around and saw only a nurse, she couldn't help but remember that dark period of time between Alex's death and her being let go of the agency. Those terrible times when she had woken up completely alone because there was just no one else to worry about or no one who cared about how she was; and even though she was drowsy again, she fought against the pull taking a hold of her and found the necessary strength to remain awake and find out what she needed to know. Then she could go back to sleep.

Her struggle between staying awake and the possibility of something bad happening to any of the others had her heart beating rapidly and the sound over the monitor keeping a tab on her cardiac function made the nurse look up and realize she had woken up.

\- Hello there sweetheart – the woman said with a bright smile and a condescending tone, almost as if she had been talking to a dog. Annabeth disliked it immediately – we've been waiting for you to wake up for a while now. Can you tell me how you feel? – Annabeth took her time to answer, glancing around the room once more, still feeling the empty space that felt more than oppressive given the absence of any familiar face.

\- Wh-where… – she meant to ask where were her friends, her teammates, but her throat felt dry and she felt extremely thirsty, like, desperately thirsty. Take away food from a person for a few days and it would be bearable; take away water though, and things could get ugly.

\- Oh! You're in the hospital honey – the nurse answered thinking that she had been asking where she was – you've been through quite an ordeal. As a matter of fact I was just about to change your dressings and that's why I asked your friends to step out of the room. They haven't left your side you know? – Annabeth closed her eyes as a wave of relief washed over her: they were just outside – once I'm done with this, I'll call the doctor to let him know you you've woken up – Annabeth opened up her eyes again when she felt the nurse lifting her hospital gown to start undressing the wound. She looked down when the skin was exposed and frowned.

\- What happened? – she managed to ask, her voice almost a raspy whisper.

\- You probably don't remember dear, but you kind of got shot – her tone was just so damn happy that it was starting to get on her nerves. ' _As if getting shot at was something to be happy about!'_ Annabeth thought.

\- No, no. After that – Annabeth remembered perfectly well about getting shot, three times. What she didn't remember was anything after losing consciousness. She didn't know what had become of Keoki or Danny, who she remembered hovering worriedly above her and, until she did, she wouldn't, _couldn't_ , go back to sleep. She glanced down when the nurse finally began to work on her wounds, experiencing that strange feeling of knowing someone was poking and prodding your body but not exactly being able to feel it; she must have been on some very strong pain medication if the area surrounding her stomach still felt like it was under the anesthetics. She got momentarily distracted with the activity taking place on her stomach that she missed some of what the obnoxious woman was saying.

\- … and so you were brought in by the cops. It was quite the commotion on the ER for a while with all those 5-0 police officers. You weren't stable enough because you had lost a lot of blood, so the surgery had to be done immediately. I'll spare you all the unnecessary details – the nurse said, sending an amused smile her way noticing how her eyelids were growing heavy again – all you need to know right now is that your brother volunteered to give you some of his blood because he was the only available match. So the doctor was able to perform the surgery and _voila_! Here you are! You sure took your time to wake up but it's all within the normal parameters of such a procedure – Annabeth was so tired now that she was losing her focus, so before she actually lost her battle with sleep, she asked the one thing that she absolutely needed to know.

\- Was anyone else… hurt? – she stumbled a bit over her words because breathing was becoming a hard task that demanded almost all of her attention. The nurse looked up from her stomach to answer back.

\- I think another boy got hurt but he wasn't brought in with you. It's a shame this kind of thing can happen at a University. I hope he's okay though – a surge of anger washed over her when she remembered the shots that had been fired but hadn't hit her. She had to assume it was Keoki, falling by Danny's gun and, in that case, she sure as hell didn't hope the guy had made it out alive. He was a freaking psychopath and whatever fate he got was nothing compared to the pain he had inflicted upon his victims and their families; not to mention the pain he had inflicted on her… this woman didn't know what she was talking about. Speaking of which…

\- I don't have a brother – she suddenly corrected, realizing why the nurse's explanation of what had happened had sounded a bit off.

\- What? – the nurse asked in confusion while she finished dressing her wounds again. That was an odd statement to make because the woman remembered the chief nurse telling her specifically that the patient's brother had made the donation – of course you do. Commander McGarrett is listed as the blood donor and he claimed to be your brother so the procedure could be done – Annabeth wasn't sure if she should blame the pain medication for her not entirely grasping what the nurse was saying. Why would Steve say something like that? It's not like being a relative was a pre-requisite to donate blood; he had already given her his blood to save her life once before and the necessity to lie about it hadn't shown up.

\- But he's not my brother – she insisted, not quite being able to let go something that was surely as trivial as an information misunderstanding. The nurse gave her a strange look right after she finished her job, puzzled due to what her patient was saying. Could it be that she was suffering from some kind of post trauma amnesia? She should get the doctor in right away, she thought. Before she did that, though, she decided to give the girl some factual reassurance because she couldn't stand the lost look on the girl's face.

\- Oh honey, it's okay. I'm sure you're just a little foggy from the drugs we're giving you to keep the pain at bay.

\- I'm not foggy – Annabeth answered somewhat angrily, her heart rate spiking just the tiniest bit. She felt the need to correct the terribly annoying woman and the feeling wasn't exactly pleasing. Why couldn't this woman understand that she had gotten her facts wrong? – I don't have any family and I certainly don't have any brother – maybe it was the angry tone of her voice that prompted the nurse to answer back, or maybe it was just the fact that she didn't know how to mind her own business.

\- Honey, we've got the DNA test that proved he was a direct match to you. Not we actually needed it because the Commander gave the doctor his word that you too would be a match. There was no time to test the blood before the surgery but the doctor insisted on doing it afterwards, just to be sure – the nurse then gave Annabeth a sympathetic look – you know what? You don't have to worry about any of that now. You just have to focus on getting better. So now that I'm done, I'll go call the doctor and you'll be able to see your friends.

\- No! Don't… – for all that Annabeth had wanted to nurse to stop talking a few minutes ago, now she didn0t want her to open the door. The information she had just revealed might have been innocent to the nurse but, for her, it was impossible… unimaginable… borderling on down right crazy. Either way, the nurse unheeded her request and opened the door wide to let whoever was outside know that they could come right back in.

The moment she saw Steve and Danny walk through the door, smiling in relief at seeing her awake, Annabeth's heart started to beat faster. She kept telling herself to calm down, that there had to be a perfectly good explanation for what she had just heard, even if that explanation was that the stupid nurse was just wrong.

At sensing her growing distress, Steve got closer to the bed and started throwing comforting words in her direction, telling her what she had needed to know from the beginning: that everyone else was alright and the danger had been eliminated; but even though he was saying all the right words, Annabeth couldn't calm down, not even when Danny had joined his partner to help him in the task of reassuring her frazzled nerves.

The only thing that actually helped was the moment the doctor walked into the room, thankfully, without the obnoxious nurse trailing behind.

In the midst of her panic attack, she had missed the part where Steve and Danny were telling the doctor about her distress and she focused back into her surroundings when the older man loomed before her, flashing a light into her eyes and making all kinds of questions.

\- What's the doming feeling right now? – she took her sweet time to answer, wincing when the light hit her pupils and then again when the movement actually made her feel the wounds that had landed her in the hospital in the first place.

\- Dizzy – she finally said, taking a huge breath because she didn't seem capable of getting enough oxygen into her lungs – tired… – she added when, again, it was becoming clear that her eyelids were getting too heavy to keep open.

\- That's understandable, considering what you've been through. Do you remembered what happened?

\- _Yes_ – Annabeth almost growled, not in the mood to hear the story again.

\- Well, that's good. No memory loss after an event like this is always a good sign. What about your pain level? From 1 to 10?

\- Three – she answered shortly, still finding it hard to breathe properly. Noticing how hard the simple task of breathing seemed to her, the doctor proceeded his questioning.

\- What about the dizziness? Is it getting better or worse? – the three men in the room frowned in concern as she closed her eyes tight and gripped the light sheep of the bed with her fists.

\- Worse! – she almost whined and she started taking even shorter and more rapid breaths.

\- Hey, hey, come on, none of that. You need to slow your breathing and calm down so the dizziness can pass – said the doctor with a calm voice but he didn't understand, he just didn't understand. Annabeth put her arms around her stomach and tried to turn so she could lay on her side but her injury prevented her from doing so, also not letting her ease out of the nausea that had started to settle over her. She desperately did not want to throw up because she knew the pain on her stomach would be torture. The doctor called a nurse in and asked for something she couldn't quite hear, neither could she tell, or care for that matter, if the nurse was the same woman as before – Annabeth, do you think you're going to be sick?

\- Yes – this time, Annabeth did whisper her answer and since she had her eyes closed, she missed the troubled looks plaguing Danny and Steve's faces.

\- Doc, why's she feeling like this? – Steve asked.

\- It's not uncommon for patients to feel dizzy and disoriented right after waking up from a surgery – even after those words, the doctor himself sent a worried look her way and then turned to the nurse he had called – let's give her something for the nausea and see how she takes it. For now, the best thing she could do is rest – he explained to the pair waiting anxiously to know what would happen next – you can stay here but you have to inform one of the nurses immediately if she starts feeling worse. Either way someone will be back in half an hour to see how the medication we're giving her right now is working out – suddenly, right there, Annabeth knew what she needed to do.

\- They can go – she said, in a tight voice, because she knew her statement would come as a surprise for both Danny and Steve and that would only make hem worry even more.

\- It's okay for them to stay – the doctor reassured everyone, but she was adamant and she knew that right now she needed to be alone; she needed to find some answers and she needed to make some calls.

\- Where's my phone? – she asked, finally opening her eyes. The sudden question took everyone by surprise and it was a puzzled Danny who answered

\- I've got it. It was recovered from the scene. I don't think it has any battery though.

\- Could you get it, please? And the charger? – it still seemed like and odd request to make in the midst of whatever she was going through right now, but Danny agreed altogether.

\- Sure – the doctor decided to take the moment of awkward silence that followed to add one last thing before leaving.

\- I'm gonna turn up the oxygen a bit to help you settle back the nausea and regulate your breathing. A nurse will be back in half an hour to check on you, alright? Gentlemen – he said, turning to Steve and Danny – although I would actually recommend on of you to stay inside the room with her, I can't force my patient to have visitors if she's not feeling up to it. So… – he added, turning back to Annabeth – are you sure? – she let out a more controlled breath when she understood that the doctor would comply with her request of being alone. The next second was the only time Annabeth locked eyes with Steve and with a determined nod, she said.

\- Yes.

After that statement, there was really no use in trying to argue her decision and so with a kind of resigned expression, both Steve and Danny said their goodbyes, making sure she knew they would be right outside the door if she needed anything or if she decided she could use the company. All she did was ask Danny again for her phone and after she got a response from the blond man saying he would be right back with it, she finally settled down and was able to draw in a proper breath. After that much time having trouble breathing plus the added oxygen, she felt the tiniest bit of relief. A relief that was short lived when her eyes landed on Steve's retreating form.

Even though her body had begun to calm down after knowing she would be left alone, her mind couldn't stop thinking about everything she knew about him and the picture that was starting to come together in her head was every bit as terrifying as bleeding out on the floor just outside the University a few days ago.

She started to count the minutes it took for Danny to come back with her phone and to plug it in for her and after he left, she fought off the tiredness and overall exhausting feeling of having been awake for far too long already while she waited for her phone to have enough battery to make a phone call.

She didn't care about the time difference. She didn't care about breaking her own promise of never reaching out to the person she hoped would answer all of her questions. She didn't care about anything else but finding out if what the nurse had told her just a few minutes ago was true or not. So she waited, and when the screen of her phone lit up, she extended her arm somewhat difficultly and proceeded to make the call that would probably turn her life upside down.

 **SO? What did you think? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Were you expecting Annabeth to find out the truth like this? I tried to make the nurse as obnoxious as I could and guess what: I kind of hate her muahahaha that was fun to write! I wonder who is Annabeth going to call and how is Steve going to handle this when she confronts him about it. This will sure turn out to be a bumpy ride!**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Can you guess who she's going to call now?**

 **Until next chapter then!**


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